Electric school buses are a breath of fresh air for children | Nearly $1B in federal funding could help clean up the unequal health impacts of diesel pollution.::Nearly $1B in federal funding will help decarbonize transportation and clean up some of the unequal health impacts of diesel pollution

  • Brkdncr@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    You can generate a lot of heat with fuel-based heaters. Many buses already use these.

    Makes sense to have an aux fuel heat source for EV buses that may deal with cold climate a few weeks out of the year.

    • cogman@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Buses will have fairly large batteries (Bird does 150kWh). The percentage of the battery needed for heat goes down as size goes up because the interior size is relatively negligible in how much added heating capacity is needed to keep the bus warm.

      But yes, probably wouldn’t be too crazy to throw on a propane heater in especially cold climates.

      • Brkdncr@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        3 kids in a full size bus near the end of its rural route in sub-zero conditions. Buses aren’t insulated. An EV failure is going to be a problem. Considering how cheap those diesel heaters are it would be a liability concern to not have them.

        • barsoap@lemm.ee
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          10 months ago

          Buses aren’t insulated.

          Why. I mean if the weather is usually fine sure but if you’re living on the arctic circle they better be insulated.