Weeks into its first winter since adding electric school buses to its fleet, the Red Hook Central School District Transportation Department has been pleased with how its new vehicles have performed, keeping students comfortable even on the coldest northern Dutchess mornings.
The two electric vehicles are on the roads regularly, and the department has been working with outside experts to maximize their usage. 
“The heating systems have been functioning well, even during snowy conditions,” Director of Transportation Anthony Curcio said. 
The district is eagerly anticipating the arrival of four more electric buses, each acquired for just $13,000 after grant and reimbursement incentive programs; combined, the six buses cost the district roughly $75,000. 
The first bus, EV145, went into service on Earth Day last year, April 22, with EV146 following soon after. Their performance even now in winter, Curcio said, has proven the district can continue the transition to electric vehicles without reason for concern. The four incoming buses will also have an even larger battery capacity, he said. 
“It’s a learning curve,” Curcio said. “Every day we run them we learn something new.” 
The buses are pre-heated each morning inside the bus garage at Linden Avenue Middle School. Drivers run the heat in the buses at maximum strength for a little less than a half-hour, drawing energy directly from their charging stations while maintaining a full battery charge. That allows the drivers to maintain cabin temperature throughout their route even while running the heat at a lower fan speed, which minimizes battery use. 
That’s not to say the performance of the electric vehicles is the same in all conditions. Curcio said in the late spring and early summer the buses would be able to travel roughly 125 miles on a full charge. That number, in the unheated bus depot, has decreased to 70 miles in recent weeks. But, as each bus run is between 30-35 miles twice daily and the buses have a window to recharge midday, that hasn’t been a cause for concern.
“An EV can handle any one of our routes,” he said, noting diesel buses historically are also more likely to experience issues in winter than other times of the year. “When I worked in another district, all we had were diesels and on a zero-degree day, it took all of us, it took seven mechanics, to keep the fuel in those buses from gelling up. … You’re going to have those problems regardless. It’s just the temperatures.”
EV145 has been the electric vehicle predominantly utilized since the temperatures dropped, generally without incident. Curcio noted it missed running one route due to a substitute driver error triggering a warning light, which was resolved without repairs needed. EV146 was sent for service in late November to resolve a dealer recall regarding undercoating, and remained there for several weeks as an unrelated anomaly was investigated and ultimately dismissed.
The district and Board of Education is considering a proposition for the annual school budget ballot in May for a broad renovation of its bus garages. While the project was prompted by a longstanding need to update the facilities for the safety and comfort of the transportation staff and remedy various issues, it would also include infrastructure improvements to better accommodate electric vehicles.
Curcio said the two companies that distribute their buses, Blue Bird and Cummins, have been responsive in helping his department address issues as it navigates incorporating electric buses into their fleet and ultimately satisfying New York’s clean school vehicles mandate banning the use of combustion vehicles by 2035.  
For a few days last month, Curcio experienced an issue in which EV145 was charging roughly 60% slower than previously. A specialist from Polara, the charging station manufacturer, worked with him to resolve the issue quickly. 
“He’s from Quebec, I believe,” Curcio recalled. “He said, ‘We’re running these buses up here, and our conditions are a lot colder than what you’re experiencing.’ He walked me through it, and we ended up bringing the charging rate back up. 
“There’s definitely good people who are willing to help make this work well for everybody,” Curcio said.