Integrated Model for Widepread Electric School Bus Deployment in NYS
Electric School Bus technology has arrived. However, the bus itself is not the challenge. With the arrival of commodity batteries, electric motors and components, electric buses can be built at scale with suitable range and reliability. However, capital cost, infrastructure, training coupled traditional operating methods create challenges to widespread market acceptance. Our solution addresses these problems with deploying the best in class technological, financial, and operational techniques to increase fleet acceptance through the lowest impact to existing fleet operations, electrical grid and operating cost structure. Compared to traditional solutions that segment the purchase, deployment, fueling and service of conventionally fueled vehicles, our solution provides all of the tools required to operate a large-scale electric bus fleet. Our Solution is an Innovative Financial, Electric Vehicle and Depot Technology Integration <<(IFEV-DTI)>> methodology for deploying Electric School Buses at scale, resulting in the lowest carbon footprint and Total Cost of Ownership
Innovative Financial Electric Vehicle and Depot Technology Integration (IFEV-DTI) has three (3) key components:
- Repowered internal combustion engine (ICE) electric school buses
- Weather hardened, semi-self-energy-sustaining bus depot
- Innovative financial model.
IFEV-DTI provides the following benefits:
- Low cost to entry/operation
- Risk reduction in connection battery maintenance
- Low grid impact with power outage "ride through" using batteries that "age out" of the vehicles (second life battery usage)
- scalable/repeatable technology/financial model that with a strong value proposition.
IFEV-DTI mitigates the Problem Statement through mitigating the barriers to entry and long-term operational challenges for school bus fleet operators and eliminating the need for battery maintenance and replacement by the fleet operator. By providing a live demonstration of our solution we are providing the market with a real-world view of our plan in action. In addition, the chosen demonstration site & location provides the optimal stress test of climate extremes, duty cycles, economic conditions, highly loaded power grid and global visibility. Program success at our Bronx location supports deployment in most any global location. A major part of our deployment will be working from "above and below" through the deployment of a solar canopy with suspended charging infrastructure providing clear parking area for the typical high density of buses. The fully sealed underground (flood-proof) vault that contains the battery energy storage system (ESS) and combined heat and power (CHP) natural gas fired generator, will provide backup power for the charging and also waste heat that will be used to keep the parking lot free of ice and snow in.