Learning is such a make-or-break in this arena — electric buses are simple on paper, hard in practice — I’m devoting this short issue to three great learning opportunities.
Nationwide learning opportunity: webinar series Electrifying Your Bus Fleet, first Thursdays in April, May and June, 11 a.m. PST, 2 p.m. EST. Save the dates. This is a joint effort between my newsletter and Center For Transportation and the Environment, a nonprofit that’s managed the deployment of 265 electric buses in 66 U.S. locations.
Electric School Bus Ride and Drive in Oregon, Friday February 28th, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at 30355 SE Highway in the inaccurately named town of Boring, Oregon. Lunch provided. RSVP to mblagg@westernbus.com. I’m coming, and I’m excited! I know of at least three people planning to make a 508 mile round trip from Southern Oregon to attend. While this bus will be a Blue Bird All American Rear Engine Electric model, please know I”m brand-neutral, and will happily spread news of any relevant event that comes to my attention.
Green Transportation Summit and Expo, April 13-15 in Tacoma, Washington. Excellent event that I’ve attended twice, learning a great deal each time.
Oregon workplaces only: free Level 2 EV chargers are available, for employee use, not bus use, in a time-limited program led by Forth Mobility. My household has a similar charger for our Kia Soul EV (have I mentioned I love our Kia Soul? That means a lot, coming from a bus nerd). Note that workplaces are responsible for installation costs, which typically run $1,000 to $2,000. EV chargers in workplaces are a great opportunity for science lessons in clean energy, as well as a tool in attracting and retaining top-notch employees.
Contact Whit Jamieson at whitakerj@forthmobility.org for more information on getting a free EV charger for your workplace.
Looking at the bigger picture, communities of color have long breathed the most polluted air, and suffered the worst health impacts. Replacing diesel school buses with no-tailpipe electric models helps address these inequities, and creates cleaner air for everyone.
Alison Wiley (she/her/hers)
I am on the ancestral lands of the Multnomah, Chinook and Cowlitz peoples.Whose land are you on?