Repowered electric school bus drives from Brooklyn to the State Capitol
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| Published | 2022-03-07 |
| Point(s) of Contact | |
| Organization(s) | Unique Electric Solutions |
| Where | Holbrook NY |
| Display | Yes |
On March 2, the New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) held an electric school bus Ride & Drive event for New York State lawmakers and their staff to demonstrate that electric school buses are real and ready to transport students. Amongst the activities were rides on an electric school bus owned by Logan Bus Co which was repowered from diesel to electric by Unique Electric Solutions. The bus was driven 180 miles, in the winter temperatures, from Brooklyn to Albany for this event, and then driven back.
Set on the Plaza in front of the State Capitol building in Albany, distinguished speakers from NYLCV, World Resources Institute, NYSERDA, NYS OGS, NYS DEC, along with several bus manufacturers shared the health and environmental needs to electrify the state’s school bus fleet as well as the state of readiness the industry to address the transformation.
NYLCV and their partner groups are advocating to secure funding in the 2022 State Budget to support Governor Hochul’s mandate of the full electrification of New York’s school bus fleet by 2035. NYLCV is also advocating for an equitable transition to all-electric school buses by prioritizing electrification in environmental justice and disadvantaged communities. To meet these goals, Unique Electric Solutions proposes incorporating bus repower as a component of the state’s electrification strategy.
Repowering, also known as converting, is the process of taking existing, in-service gas or diesel powered vehicles and converting – or retrofitting – them to clean battery electric. This provides all the benefits of a new electric bus including zero tailpipe emissions, quiet operation, and dramatic reduction in operating costs, without having to buy new vehicles. Repowering to electric is a faster, cheaper and easier way to go electric with school buses.
About Unique Electric Solutions (UES)
Unique Electric Solutions, UES, manufactures electric (EV) and fuel cell electric (FCEV) vehicle propulsion systems for commercial fleets, upfitters and select OEMs. These engineered, end-to-end EV systems are deployed in both new production vehicle platforms as well as mid/high volume conversions of on-road medium and heavy-duty trucks and buses for numerous applications such as package delivery, passenger transportation and terminal trucks. The uniqueEV® platform, a Class 4-8 all-electric drive system available in both full EV and a range-extended HEV fuel-cell version, is field proven including daily service in large fleets such as United Parcel Service for over 4 years.