VOA新闻杂志2024--Costs, Performance Influence Decisions on Electric School Buses

Costs, Performance Influence Decisions on Electric School Buses

The first electric school buses in the United States began operating about 10 years ago in California. Fewer than one percent of the 489,000 school buses in the U.S. were electric at the end of 2023.

However, the number of electric school buses currently operating or that have been ordered from a manufacturer has more than tripled in the last two years. That information comes from the Electric School Bus Initiative of the non-profit World Resources Institute, or WRI, based in Washington D.C.

The WRI said that increase means 10 times as many students now ride electric school buses — from around 20,000 in 2020 to 200,000 three years later. The number of states with electric bus laws or goals also grew from two to 14 between 2020 and last year.

People and organizations that want electric school buses can find it difficult to get local officials to find ways to pay for them.

"It's just a matter of breaking down these barriers," said Alicia Cox. She is a mother of two in Jackson, Wyoming. Her state is the only one that does not have a single school district with an electric bus operating or on order.

Cox's son, a second grader, often rides a diesel¹ bus to school.

Problems with electric buses

Parents and local officials say one of the biggest problems with electric school buses is their cost. Even with the fuel and maintenance savings² of an electric bus, they cost two to three times more than diesel fueled buses.

The Environmental Protection Agency says it has a $5 billion program for zero-emissions³ buses. The money comes from an infrastructure⁴ law passed by the U.S. Congress under the administration of President Joe Biden in 2021. Nearly 440 grants and rebates⁶ totaling about $1.8 billion have already been released. The goal of the federal money is to replace thousands of buses across several hundred school districts in the U.S.

Demand for the money has been "heartening," said Christine Koester. She is a director for the Clean School Bus Program at the EPA.

In addition to federal money, supporters have successfully pushed to use other money. That includes money from federal government legal cases, like the Volkswagen emissions settlement. In that case, the U.S. government brought legal action against the German carmaker for having a system that gave false car emissions results.

For school districts that are not receiving federal money, there are other possibilities. These include leasing buses from companies that supply the buses and the equipment needed. This method spreads costs out over time.

Choices

Dearborn Public Schools is a Detroit area school district in the Midwestern state of Michigan. Seventy percent of families in the district are poor. Communications director David Mustonen said the district was interested in new technology when it began operating its first electric bus in December 2022.

The district bought an electric school bus with a $300,000 federal grant. The bus has been operational only about three of the 12 months since then. That is because of maintenance needs and learning about the device. That is not discouraging Dearborn from moving forward with adding 18 additional electric school buses. But those problems represent a risk other school districts may not want to take.

There are other problems slowing the change to electric buses. School districts sometimes take a long time to approve electric buses. Manufacturing of the buses can be delayed, and electric buses require special electrical connections for charging. And, of course, electricity costs money, too.

Wyoming refused federal money from the EPA because of concerns about how far the buses could travel. There were also concerns about cold temperatures. Wyoming is a very large Western state where travel distances are big and, in the winter, temperatures can get very cold. Electric battery performance decreases in cold temperatures.

"Even though diesel is not as clean, it's getting the job done," Cox said schools and fleet managers tell her.

Words in This Story

school district – n. an area established by a local government for the administration of public schools which has a budget and is supervised by local government officials

maintenance – n. the act of keeping property or equipment in good condition by making repairs

zero-emissions –adj. letting off no gasses that people do not like or considered harmful

grant – n. an amount of money that is given by a government to be used for a particular purpose

rebate⁵ – n. an amount of money that is paid back to you

lease – v. to use (something) for a period of time in return for payment

discourage – v. to make someone less likely to do something; to make someone less hopeful about doing something

fleet –n. a group of vehicles that is supervised for an organization or force

1 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

2 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

3 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 rebate   

v./n.折扣，回扣，退款；vt.给...回扣，给...打折扣

参考例句：

• You can claim a rebate on your tax.你可以要求退回部分税款。
• Customers are to benefit from a rebate on their electricity bills.顾客将从他们的电费退费中得到实惠。

6 rebates   

n.退还款( rebate的名词复数 )；回扣；返还（退还的部份货价）；折扣

参考例句：

• The VAT system offers advantages, such as rebates on exports. 增值税有其优点，如对出口商品实行回扣。 来自辞典例句
• In more recent years rate rebates have been introduced for households. 近年地方税的减免已适用于家庭。 来自辞典例句