This publication is intended to serve as a resource primarily for school districts and transportation directors exploring school bus electrification and provide them with a better understanding of the state of the electric school bus market and available offerings. It aims to present the growing interest and investment in the sector along with key aspects of the current technology. A scan of the market explores the growing demand for these buses and how manufacturers are positioning themselves to meet that demand. The catalog presents electric school bus models available today with detailed vehicle specifications allowing readers to compare various models and weigh important considerations.

Highlights
School districts across the United States have started the transition to electric school buses (ESBs). As of March 2022, 415 districts (or private fleet operators) had committed to the use of 12,275 ESBs across 38 states and a range of operating conditions. States and municipalities are setting electrification goals while manufacturers scale production.

Compared to the typical school bus that runs on diesel fuel, ESBs have the potential to lower operation and maintenance costs for fleets and have zero tailpipe emissions. Their large batteries can store and deliver energy using “vehicle-to-everything” technology, to power buildings and other devices, which can support greater resiliency including through the integration of renewable energy. ESBs also have the potential to generate revenue by discharging energy from their batteries back onto the grid, lowering utility costs and emissions. Though this is a nascent market, technological advancements are due to make this widely available in the near future.

Currently, 22 ESB models are available from 12 manufacturers for Type A, C and D buses: 14 newly manufactured vehicle models and eight repowered vehicle models. There is the largest selection of Type A models. Type C models are the most commercially ready.

Each generation of buses is more advanced than the previous: many manufacturers are on their second or third iteration, some even further along. The newest models possess a battery range to serve more than 99% of routes in the U.S. (School Transportation News 2021a).

Context
Momentum around electric school buses (ESBs) is growing in the United States as school districts across the country transition to this cleaner and healthier technology, bolstered by an upcoming infusion of new funding from the federal government. The ESB transition will require a coordinated effort among numerous entities, including school district leadership and staff; school bus manufacturers and contractors; utilities; policy makers; regulators; local advocacy organizations; and community members.

This publication is intended to serve as a resource primarily for school districts, transportation directors, and other school bus operators exploring school bus electrification to provide a better understanding of the state of the ESB market and available offerings. It aims to present the growing interest and investment in this sector along with key aspects of the current technology. In the “Status of the Electric School Bus Market” section, we explore the growing demand for these buses and how manufacturers are positioning themselves to meet that demand through a scan of the market. Next, in “Bus Basics,” we explain key components of an ESB and discuss the charging and related infrastructure that is needed to support these buses. The core element of the publication presents a catalog of the 22 ESB models available as of early 2022 with detailed vehicle specifications allowing readers to compare various models and weigh important considerations. We conclude by summarizing the status of school bus electrification to date.

Approach and Methodology
The content of this publication has been gathered from a variety of sources, compiling information on models available in the U.S. from publicly available vehicle specifications sheets confirmed through discussions with bus manufacturers when possible.

We explore school district experiences with ESBs representing a variety of use cases in the U.S. – rural, suburban and urban; warm and cold weather, including extreme temperatures; and early adopters further along in their process as well as those in earlier stages of procurement. We compiled recent research and reporting on school district commitments and experiences and supplemented public information with conversations with school districts and other partners. We plan to update this publication annually as new vehicles come to market and existing models are altered.

This resource is one of many from WRI’s Electric School Bus Initiative and is intended to be updated to expand upon topics like funding and financing, alternative service models and utility engagement.

Download the full report at World Resources Institute published on June 10, 2022.

As things have started to open up after Covid-19 restrictions eased across Australia, noise pollution from trucks has been gradually on the rise. But can electrification of trucks in Australia help solve that?

I commonly hear the complaint: “Australian automotive manufacturing is gone”.

It’s true that we don’t make Holdens, Toyotas or Fords anymore, but automotive manufacturing is still alive and here in 2022. I got to see it in action recently at SEA Electric’s factory in southeast Melbourne.

Australian-made EV trucks: quiet achievers
One thing that blew me away when I test drove SEA’s trucks in April was how quiet they were off the line and how much easier it was for the drivers to get in and start driving.

The cabin was quieter and did not have the vibrations coming off a diesel engine which is always there even if the truck is stopped at a set of lights.

This eases driver fatigue which we know contributes to road toll. So these trucks are not only quieter, but they are safer on our roads too. Drivers are more aware of their surrounding traffic with less noise and vibration.

Could quieter electric trucks increase house values?
On the road, EV trucks like those made by SEA Electric produce much less noise which is better for residents of homes on main-roads across Australia.

As more and more EV trucks and cars get onto our roads, our main roads would get less noisier which could lead to an increase in house values too.

Future of EV trucks
Many of us have heard that “without trucks, Australia stops”. It’s true as road freight is such an integral part of our transport network and the way we live.

As we move towards a cleaner future and decarbonise transport, EV trucks will play a major role in that transition. This would lead to cleaner and quieter cities and if these trucks are Australian made right here like SEA Electric trucks are in Melbourne, it’ll help us quietly achieve that transition a lot quicker.

Continue reading the full article at The Driven by Riz Akhtar published on May 11, 2022.

While many observers firmly believe that the future of long-haul trucking around the world will rely on hydrogen-powered fuel-cell technology, one Australian who is at the absolute forefront of electric trucking isn’t so sure about that.

Bill Gillespie, Asia-Pacific Regional President of Melbourne-based electric truck manufacturer, SEA Electric, told CarsGuide that we should be wary of ruling out alternative technologies in favour of a single option.

“I’m not saying we won’t see the hydrogen fuel-cell play a big part in long-haul transport,” he said, “but Hydrogen might turn out to be one part of the potential solution.”

“The big problem with any powertrain is that the heavier it is, the more compromised the payload becomes. But even that doesn’t rule out batteries of some sort playing a part.”

Replaceable batteries are one alternative, Mr Gillespie said.

In fact, NSW Central Coast-based Janus Electric is already working on a prime-mover that uses replaceable batteries based on a change-station network on major arterials.

Although still in the prototype stage, Janus claims that a battery swap will take about three minutes and would give a B-Double a range of between 400-500km on a battery-set.

But Mr Gillespie has dived even further into the alternatives, and says that a hybrid-diesel could also be a reality.

This is well-established technology and has been used to power freight trains for decades. Fundamentally, a diesel engine produces the electricity to drive the electric motors that power the train’s wheels. There’s absolutely no reason it couldn’t work for a road-train as well.

In the meantime, SEA Electric’s focus remains on the light- and medium-truck market which is primarily used for urban work where range is not as much of an issue as it is for long-haul trucks.

While these urban-based trucks tend to fly under the radar a little, when they’re counted as a group, the potential benefits of electrification start to add up.

About 21,000 medium and light trucks are sold in Australia each year, and those make up about 40 per cent of all freight deliveries.

Given that many government departments are averse to carbon-fuelled vehicles and even global giant Ikea is moving to eTruck deliveries in 30 of its markets, the scope for eTrucks – regardless of the tech they use – to blossom is huge.

Continue reading the full article at Cars Guide by David Morely published on April 13, 2022.

An electric garbage truck is being trialed on Canberra’s streets for the first time, as part of ACT government efforts to move its fleet to zero emissions vehicles.

Transport and City Services Minister Chris Steel said transport emissions accounted for more than 60 per cent of total output in ACT, so electrification was needed as soon as possible to tackle climate change.

“We’ve already kick-started this transition with 12 battery electric buses joining Transport Canberra’s fleet this year, and a further 90 e-buses on the way,” Mr Steel said in a statement.

“The government is now assessing how we can move to zero emissions trucks for waste collection in the ACT. This two-week trial will provide an understanding of the features and benefits of using zero emissions technology for heavy commercial vehicles.”

The electric garbage truck is a converted diesel model developed by Bucher Municipal and SEA Electric. It has a range of 190 kilometres and can run at a top speed of 100km/h. A full battery charge lasts eight hours.

Darren Gear, a regional sales manager at Burcher Municipal, said the truck was the cutting edge of electric vehicle technology.

“Our company believes in solving challenges with key partnerships through technology and we strive to develop new equipment that meet environmental outcomes for now and into the future,” Mr Gear said.

Continue reading the full article at Canberra Times by Jasper Lindell published on April 13, 2022.