Lee, what you say seems possible, to me. I think the test would be to
inquire to some insurance companies. After all, that's where the
liability ends up. So, if they can be convinced the liability is
essentially no higher with an ebus vs the old bus, the project could be
feasible.
On the other hand, I don't think a bunch of hand converted buses makes
much difference in the big picture except for education (and I don't
mean to minimize that). Each district probably has dozens or hundreds of
buses and they'll want new ones that meet current comfort and safety
standards as well as having warranties against failures for a number of
years.
Peri
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------ Original Message ------
From: "Lee Hart via EV" <ev@lists.evdl.org>
To: "Electric Vehicle Discussion List" <ev@lists.evdl.org>
Cc: "Lee Hart" <leeah...@earthlink.net>; "EV List Lackey"
<evp...@drmm.net>
Sent: 29-Oct-22 08:14:39
Subject: Re: [EVDL] EV school buses
EV List Lackey via EV wrote:
Lee Hart via EV wrote:
That's $400,000 per bus! ... You're not going to get many schools to adopt
them at that price.
Maybe some high school shop class should take on the challenge of
converting one?
Wouldn't that be great? Healthy for both the schools' budgets and the kids'
education.
Unfortunately, that resounding thud that you just heard was several hundred
school board lawyers across the nation clasping their chests and face-
planting. Can you say "liability"?
Have we really become so bureaucratic and fearful of change that nothing can be done
except "the way we've always done it"?
If you're converting an existing bus, it already meets safety standards.
Trading the gas tank and engine for batteries and an electric motor is likely
to *improve* safety and reliability. If students do the work, it can certainly
be inspected and approved by competent experts.
Heck; make it a hybrid. Keep the ICE, and just add an electric motor in-line with the
drive shaft. Add a bank of batteries and controller under the bus. Drive the bus
electrically, and only use the ICE as needed for higher speeds or longer range. Now you
have a backup system for that "what if it stalls on the railroad tracks"
scenario.
There have been entirely too many failures among fleet conversions in the
past - say from around 1970 to 2000 or 2010. I think that there were lots of
reasons for the failures...
There is always a chance of failure. But we learn more from our failures than
our successes. Knowing what didn't work means you know what *not* to do the
next time.
I simply cannot accept that the situation is hopeless.
Lee Hart
-- "#3 pencils and quadrille pads." -- Seymour Cray, when asked
what CAD tools he used to design the Cray I supercomputer
--
Lee Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377, www.sunrise-ev.com
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