from Naples Central School re; EV buses
NCS Community,
Good afternoon,
As we enter the month of March and begin to look forward to some warmer weather, Pat Elwell (NCS Transportation Director) and I wanted to take an opportunity to update our community on the two EV buses we are currently operating in our fleet. As you recall, NCS was the recipient of a federal EPA grant in 2022 which covered the vast majority of expenses for both the buses as well as related charging infrastructure. Our district was appreciative of the community support and willingness to take a small step towards EV implementation. We feel it is important to provide folks with information on their performance, particularly given the cold winter we have experienced and the fact that the NYS EV bus mandate is still in effect.
Since these EV buses entered our fleet in the spring of 2024, we have found that on most days, these buses perform well and that they can meet our daily needs for most bus routes to and from school. The buses are quiet, and in other ways feel very similar to our diesel fleet. While we have endured a few software/charging glitches, overall performance has been adequate. As such, we expect to utilize these buses to their fullest potential and to the end of their useful lives, ensuring we maximize the return on the EPA grant monies we received.
What cannot be ignored, however, is that these EV buses also present challenges and have proven to be limiting in numerous ways. While introducing several EV buses has proven to be manageable on most days, transitioning to a full fleet of EV buses would be impractical and frankly impossible given what we have learned about EV function, cost, and necessary infrastructure to support a larger or full EV bus fleet. A few key points to note:
Function: We have found that the performance of these buses diminishes significantly the further the temperature falls below freezing; this winter’s weather has been a true test. We have experienced challenges with heating the buses, along with an increased frequency/demand of charging during the day which drives up operating costs. Even in decent weather, these buses do not have the range for our longest bus routes, most athletic contests, or extra-curricular trips. While diesel buses provide us consistency and flexibility, we simply do not see the same outcomes with our EV buses and on the coldest of days, we cannot operate one or both buses due to range/heating issues.
Cost: When we acquired our buses through the EPA grant in 2023, the cost was for each bus was $390,000. Today, an similarly equipped EV bus costs sit at $435,485 and $481,472 (for a larger EV battery option requiring level 3 charging). This is of great concern given the cost of a diesel bus in 2023 was $150,630 and is currently $167,784. These cost differentials are staggering and raise serious questions as to how districts can balance budgets/remain fiscally responsible should these differentials remain unchanged.
Further, we have learned this winter that operating EV buses do drive up electric costs when factoring in regular charging, increased utility costs, delivery costs, and the necessity to charge during the day (peak time thus higher rates) when it is cold. The district has carefully been tracking data on the cost to operate EV buses vs. diesel and the most current data tells us that daily operation of an EV bus is 3-5x more expensive than a diesel bus, dependent upon weather conditions, electric rates, and diesel costs which are far more predictable.
Infrastructure Challenges: Currently, NCS is near maximum capacity when it comes to adding further EV buses to our fleet as there is not adequate grid power to support broader expansion. These grid challenges are ever-present throughout our county and unfortunately, this situation has led to the delay or abandonment of housing projects and business development across our region. Given the declining populations/school enrollment we and other communities have been seeing for decades, this is concerning news and it further raises questions about the feasibility of implementing this EV bus mandate as written.
Procedural Questions: School law requires that bus purchases (including EV bus purchases) are approved by community referendum votes. To date, schools have been provided with zero guidance as to what steps must be taken should these referendum votes fail. Understanding what next steps look like should a proposition fail are essential for district planning, both short-term and long-term.
While we recognize the fact that we should take reasonable steps to be stewards of our environment, we cannot ignore the fact that should this mandate remain in place, the consequences could be significant for our students and community tax payers. NCS, like most regional districts, is striving to be fiscally responsible in an environment where foundation aid increases are projected at 1% and other costs are increasing up to 20%. This mandate is placing tremendous emphasis on how our kids get to and from school. What we cannot lose sight of is what can we provide our kids in school in terms of programming/support once they arrive and how can we foster growth and development in our region? These areas must remain the highest of priorities. The idea that schools can absorb such cost increases related to EV buses (differential in cost/operation between EV buses and diesel) without impacting other areas is a fallacy and the lack of grid capacity, coupled with functional limitations of these buses, further raises questions as to the efficacy of this mandate.
Again, the NYS EV bus mandate remains in place. As a district, we have and will continue to share our EV bus story including both the points of success as well as the significant challenges/limitations, ensuring that factual data and authentic experiences (not assumptions or opinions) illustrate that story. We have shared this information with many local NYS representatives. They are listening, acknowledging EV bus realities, and advocating for us accordingly and for that we are incredibly grateful.
Naples CSD has applied for the available two-year EV bus waiver and as such has no plans for further EV purchases at this point in time. It is our hope that NYS considers significant changes with this mandate or potential repeal given the realities around EV bus implementation that are now abundantly clear.
We also recognize that opinions on EV buses, or other EV initiatives may vary and we respect that. Should this be a topic you feel strongly about, we encourage you to reach out to your NYS representatives to share your thoughts. If you may have questions about EV buses, do not hesitate to reach out to either of us.
Kevin Swartz Pat Elwell
NCS Superintendent NCS Transportation Director
