District would pay $30K to $42K per vehicle annually
As it waits to learn whether it will receive grants to purchase four electric buses, the Haldane school district is considering whether it should lease instead.
Under state law, all new school buses must be zero-emission starting in 2027. Districts must be fully electric by 2035.
Haldane is considering a partnership with Highland Electric Fleets, a Massachusetts company that leases electric school buses. Emily Parish, a manager with the firm, traveled to Cold Spring on Tuesday (June 3) to make a presentation to the school board about its “turnkey fleet electrification services.”
Electric buses typically cost $400,000 each, or three times a bus that burns diesel. Parish said Haldane would pay between $30,000 and $42,000 a year to lease each bus, depending on the amount of grant money the district receives from state and federal sources.
In addition to the buses, Parish said that Highland Electric would provide charging stations, electrical capacity, electricity, bus management software, driver training and maintenance assistance. The buses would be driven by district employees and housed on campus.
The vehicles would be provided under a “capital lease,” which under state law is capped at eight years. (Legislation has been introduced to extend the limit to 12 years, which is the typical lifespan of a school bus.) Haldane voters would have to approve the contracts.
“For a small district like Haldane to attempt the transition independently would be very difficult,” said Carl Albano, the interim superintendent. “They have the knowledge, and it minimizes risk.”
Adam MacNeil, Haldane’s director of facilities and transportation, said that, given the district’s inexperience with electric buses, partnering with a firm like Highland Electric “allows us to focus on other things.”
“We have never outsourced our transportation,” noted Board President Peggy Clements during the meeting, calling it a source of pride. “The district has done a very good job of buying buses and maintaining” buses. She added that the transition to a lease agreement “is another kind of risk.”
Highland Electric has assisted Haldane with grant applications, including a bid to obtain $170,000 for each bus from the federal Environmental Protection Administration. The district can also apply for state grants.
Parish said she was optimistic the EPA would continue its bus grants despite the cost-cutting and turmoil in Washington D.C. “Hopefully we get some news in the next couple of weeks,” she said.
Highland Electric said it has contracts with 130 districts across the country to manage some 900 buses, although it does not yet have any agreements in New York. Parish said her firm is also pitching the Scarsdale district on its services.
Electric buses are good in theory, but please have the transportation director at Haldane or members of its school board contact bus-service companies (e.g., Bird Bus Sales in Crompond) or other transportation managers that oversee electric fleets, such as Katonah-Lewisboro. The buses are extremely expensive upfront, and the maintenance costs are astronomical. I’ve heard stories of electric units sitting all winter due to range and service issues.
Maybe in a few years the technology will improve, but right now all I’ve heard from peer schools is how bad of an investment the electric buses have been. Last year I was pricing out 72-passenger units for a private school in Westchester, where I am director of operations, and looking at diesel, gas or electric. The salesperson warned me off the electric from the start. [via Facebook]
Leasing electric buses is better than buying them. The Haldane board isn’t choosing to switch to electric: The state is forcing every district to switch to electric by 2035 because of a law enacted by Gov. Hochul in 2022. [via Facebook]
Another unfunded mandate from our governor. Nice idea but, as usual, the timing stinks. [via Facebook]
What about the electric infrastructure that will be needed? Propane-powered buses were enough of a hassle with their low ranges. [via Facebook]
It’s great to hear that the Haldane school district is taking steps toward compliance with the 2027 deadline under state law requiring that all new school buses be electric by applying for grants to purchase electric school buses and exploring leasing options. It is well-established that electric school buses are much cheaper to operate than diesel and require less maintenance. Electricity is significantly cheaper than diesel and electric buses require less maintenance than diesel-burning school buses. There are many reports and studies showing this from school districts across the country that have electric buses. One relevant example is Lake Shore Central School District in Erie County, which reports that transitioning to electric buses has led to significant savings in operational costs. The transportation supervisor in Lake Shore estimates that operating an electric bus route costs about $4 per route, compared with $22 for a diesel-operated bus running the same route, adding up to approximately $15,000 per school bus each year in savings. The Lake Shore electric school buses have an operating range of up to 122 miles per charge and operate just as well as the district’s diesel-burning counterparts in freezing winter temperatures. Students in the district prefer the electric buses because they are quieter and smell better than the diesel-burning school buses. They also heat up much faster than diesel school buses, making the bus ride more comfortable. The Lake Shore district became interested in electric school buses as part of its broader sustainability efforts and the district’s transportation… Read more »