A fifth electric bus company shows off its product
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The hybrid bus makes more sense at this time as the electric busses may have to be charged at the end of each route. The hybrid bus can recharge while riding and may make a good transition to total electric busses. Some total electric busses have had frame issues on bad roads due to the weight of the necessary batteries on board.
If Augusta is smart, they will purchase a maintenance contract with the the buses. Given the county’s inability to safely maintain the electrical systems in its parks, buildings, and streetlights, the high-voltage bus batteries, associated digital charging and discharging controls, electric motors, and regenerative braking systems will be an insurmountable challenge. If ridership is sufficient to allow a profit, it maybe better to hire a contractor to operate the bus routes and provide and maintain the buses.
You are right about poor maintenance. With their propensity to hire based on anything BUT skill and qualifications, I doubt there is the skill level in house to do it.
You are absolutely correct on maintenance etc.
If and when they go to all electric buses, the batteries don’t last forever. I would guess the cost would be well over two hundred thousand dollars to replace them. I have read where some Tesla cars have gone over a hundred and fifty thousand miles on the original batteries. I’m sure it wouldn’t take long for one of these busses to reach that. As far as hiring qualified people to maintain them, forget it, Richmond County always hires on race. The transportation system in Richmond County always looses over a million dollars a year.
EV’s are not a pressing issue for the city. The bus system really has issues that need to be addressed. Is it even ioperating in the black yet?