eBus Adoption for Schools

The Nation’s Largest Public Transportation Network

The U.S.’s approximately 500,000 school buses comprise the country’s largest public transportation network, moving 26 million children everyday. That’s more than four times the New York City subway’s daily ridership, all picked up and dropped off at farm houses, suburban developments, and city apartment blocks.

And 95% of them run on diesel. Compared to other fuels, diesel can emit 25 to 400 times more mass of particulate black carbon and associated organic matter (“soot”) per mile. These fine particulates emitted during vehicle operation are especially more dangerous to children, whose faster breathing rate and developing lungs make them more vulnerable.

Overall, the transportation sector generates the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions, and electric vehicles (EVs) will play a crucial role in meeting global goals on climate change. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will make a huge difference in the electrification of those buses, which currently number only 1% or half-million school buses in the nation’s school bus fleet.

Overcoming Delays in EV Infrastructure Permitting

While the cost for EVs alone is expensive, their charging infrastructure can also be costly. And in addition, the timeline for EV infrastructure permitting and construction can take up to 24 months if the power at a site is insufficient. But, one of the biggest blind spots is imagining that the fastest chargers--Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC)--will replace gas pumps for quick fill-ups. However, the staggering amount of electricity required to power DCFCs is the equivalent of a whole neighborhood’s electricity needs all at once.

e-Boost Delivers a Green Solution NOW!

While many school districts are planning for e-Buses and their infrastructure, e-Boost can fill the gaps. During sporting and other school events, large amounts of equipment and/or musical instruments are transported in addition to students. In these situations, e-Buses won’t have the opportunity to return to the depot for recharging.

A mobile e-Boost unit can be delivered to event sites to recharge the e-Bus, and then moved to the next site or returned to the e-Bus Charging Depot.

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Pathway to Net-Zero

Moreover, e-Boost units are refueled by local Propane suppliers. Propane is one of the cleanest fuels available, offering the lowest in carbon emissions per million BTUs according to the EIA. It does not contaminate the soil or groundwater because it’s non-toxic and non-poisonous. Propane’s environmentally friendly benefits don’t end there. It is a pathway to net-zero emissions with the inclusion of commercial scale renewable Liquid Propane Gas (rLPG) and renewable Dimethyl Ether (rDME) expected in 2022.

Servicing of Units

Charging networks haven’t had the best record for operational maintenance. Charging stations are serviced by their owners, and some simply provide better service contracts than others. e-Boost units are serviced by Pioneer’s Critical Power Group, which has been servicing power generation assets for three decades with a nationwide network.

e-Boost is a product of Pioneer eMobility, a division of Pioneer Power Solutions (NASDAQ: PPSI), experienced providers of off-grid resiliency solutions like distributed power and backup power generation assets throughout the USA. All e-Boost units provide backup power and connectivity in the event of outages.