‘Stupidity’, drivers furious as authorities spend $42 million on 165 new electric school buses – crucial issue ‘ignored’

MILLIONS will go towards replacing almost 200 school buses with EVs – some think the money could have been better spent elsewhere.

A new program aims to provide reliable transportation for schoolchildren with a cleaner carbon footprint.

3

3

3

Holyoke, Massachusetts, received $42 million for the Clean Bus Grant Program, a state program that aims to add 165 all-electric school buses in 17 school districts.

The same program helped provide 85 electric buses to other school districts, according to the NBC affiliate WWLP.

Senator Warren indicated that the program will help set an example for other states on how they can fight climate change.

“These new electric school buses from the Biden administration are bright yellow symbols of how Massachusetts is combating climate change,” Warren said.

“I wrote a bill to invest in cleaner transit options and fought for federal funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, and now these electric school buses will help Massachusetts students breathe cleaner air.”

Facebook users had mixed reactions to the outlet publish of the news.

One user expressed their disgust with how the state was spending taxpayers’ money.

“It’s incredible how our tax dollars are being released and no one can stop this insanity,” they wrote.

“The cost of battery replacement will be out of the city’s budget at some point in the future. Stupidity!”

Another noted the extreme fire risk often associated with an EV’s lithium-ion battery.

“I took my son to school every day before letting him ride the fireball bus,” they wrote.

Many have noted that EV may not perform as well in winter as the state experiences harsh and cold winters.

“Oh no, it’s the middle of winter and our electric bus has a dead battery!” wrote one user.

Several commented on their feelings about the scope and concerns about the charge.

However, the state is no stranger to switching from diesel buses to electric buses.

Last year, the state purchased 20 electric buses through the state’s VEH111 contract.

What is the Clean School Bus Program?

Progam received federal funding to replace diesel-powered buses with fully electric buses.

The EPA, a federal agency, provides school districts across the country with funding to purchase and maintain all-electric school buses through the Clean School Bus Program.

Since last year, the agency has awarded $3 billion in grants and rebates to replace 8,500 buses with all-electric variants at 1,000 American schools.

Source: EPA

Addressing issues of scope, Jackie Hayes, deputy director of transportation for the Boston Public Schools Transportation Department, said the state is more than equipped to handle EVs.

“Range anxiety is a common concern, but training and experience driving on the road have helped drivers feel more comfortable on buses,” she said in a statement. release.

“The learning curve is manageable, although we have learned from other school districts that it typically takes about six to eight months for drivers to become experts.

“The training made it easier for drivers to quickly achieve the success metrics of the pilot program, with all 20 drivers completing their full routes each day in both the morning and afternoon runs. We are encouraged by the fact that battery usage be improving daily.”

The city of Boston also announced its goal of converting all school buses to electric variants by 2030, just six years away.