Trucks Clips: June 17, 2024

 

 

CALSTART To Intervene In EPA Clean Trucking Cases — “CALSTART filed a motion on Friday to intervene in cases where the EPA’s clean trucking emissions standards are brought to court. ‘Our intervention is a continuation of our strong and unwavering support for standards that are mission-critical for the clean transportation industry,’ CALSTART President and CEO John Boesel says. ‘We have been vocal in our support for the science-based rulemaking process at each phase — and today is no exception.’ Three cases are mentioned in the motion; state of Nebraska et al., Warren Peterson et al. and Western States Trucking Association Inc. et al. These respondents did not oppose the motion, according to CALSTART. CALSTART is a nonprofit focused on transportation decarbonization and clear air. It has offices in New York, Michigan, Colorado, California, Florida and Europe. It has more than 280 member companies and manages more than $500 million in vehicle incentive and technical assistance programs in the U.S. The organization says it’s building on the lesson learned from the programs it manages in California.” [Truck Parts Service, 6/14/24 (=)]

 

 

 

Electric School Buses, Microgrids Support Community Resilience — “Incorporating microgrids can be effective for school bus electrification because it introduces grid resiliency for both a school district and the wider community, a Thursday webinar discussed. Dr. Jorge Elizondo, president and co-founder of microgrid developer and webinar sponsor Heila Technologies, said that the growing push to electrify hundreds of thousands of school buses that transport schoolchildren every day began in earnest in 2022 with the $5 billion EPA Clean School Bus Program. While over 12,000 electric school buses (ESBs) are dedicated to U.S. school districts, he noted that less than one-third of those have been delivered or are otherwise currently operating. Securing and installing ESBs and charging infrastructure can be time-consuming and complex, requiring dedicated resources and expertise. He explained that school districts are contending with high and volatile energy prices, health risks from fossil fuels, power outages caused by fires, and other grid challenges. He said ESBs can achieve operational savings of up to $6000 per year compared to a diesel bus, reduce student exposure to harmful diesel pollution, reduce tons of CO2, and create resiliency hubs to enhance community emergency preparedness.” [School Transportation News, 6/14/24 (=)]

 

Red ICE And Blue: The Hunt For A Hydrogen Truck Engine Part 1 — “Hydrogen is one of the most abundant substances in the universe. It is also an incredibly powerful, energy dense fuel. A gallon of hydrogen contains three times the energy content as a gallon of gasoline. That’s why it’s been used as rocket fuel since the earliest days of the Space Age. Hydrogen is a clean fuel, too. Water is the only by-product of the hydrogen combustion process. At a glance, hydrogen seems like the perfect fuel for a modern, transportation-dependent society threatened by climate change. But there are significant problems with hydrogen, as well. It’s a very expensive, and energy-intensive fuel to produce in large quantities. It’s also unsafe. The fuel is so volatile that it can ignite, without a spark, at much lower air temperatures than fossil fuels. It’s also odorless and colorless. When ignited, it burns with an intense blue flame that cannot be seen in daylight.” [Heavy-Duty Trucking, 6/14/24 (=)]

 

 

 

Alabama

 

Farmington School District, Chosen For EPA’s Clean Bus Program, Exploring Purchase Options — “Farmington School District officials are mulling whether to buy some electric school buses, now that they have an offer of financial help from the federal government to do so. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last month announced Farmington as one of four Arkansas school districts -- along with Batesville, Quitman and Little Rock -- chosen to receive rebates for electric bus purchases through the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program. Farmington is in the ‘investigative phase’ of determining whether it will go forward with buying the six buses it was approved for under the rebate program, Superintendent Jon Laffoon said. The district was approved for $1.22 million in rebates. ‘The thing about Farmington is we have a small land area district, about 41 square miles, and most of our roads are paved and not too hilly or mountainous,’ Laffoon said. ‘These buses are perfect for us. I know there’s some additional rebates for charging infrastructure. I’m trying to find out what that amount would be.’” [Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 6/14/24 (+)]

 

Citing Infrastructure Costs, Batesville School District Turns Down EV School Bus Grants Available To Four Arkansas Districts — “An Arkansas school district selected for a federal rebate to help fund the purchase of an electric school bus has declined to move forward with the purchase while another district selected for the program is trying to decide whether it can afford the purchase due to the high purchase and infrastructure costs that have posed a hurdle for electric-vehicle adoption nationwide. The Batesville School District -- which turned down its spot in the rebate program -- was due to receive $365,000 as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Rebate Program for one electric school bus. The rebate program offered to provide a combined $11.03 million in rebates toward the purchase of 36 electric school buses in Batesville and three other selected Arkansas districts. However, the rebate would only partially cover the costs associated with purchasing the vehicle associated charging infrastructure -- leaving the district responsible for several tens of thousands of dollars in remaining cost. This proved to be unpopular with Batesville’s residents, school district spokesperson Megan Renihan said.” [Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 6/16/24 (-)]

 

 

 

Construction Equipment Is Going Electric. Here’s What It’s Like Behind The Wheel. — “On a 40-acre dirt and gravel lot, I climbed into the cabin of a 55,000-pound excavator. Construction crews use these hulking machines to dig trenches for laying pipes and wires or hollowing out building foundations. I took it out for a joyride. When I switched on the motor, there was no ignition roar and no belch of diesel fumes from a tailpipe. This machine, powered by four batteries that each are big enough to run a small electric car, came to life silently. The quiet didn’t last. The excavator’s giant treads trundled noisily over the gravel until I reached a good spot to dig. Then I grabbed hold of two joysticks and sank the bucket arm down into the dirt to scoop out as much earth as the claw could carry. I hit a big rock. The machine momentarily pitched forward, straining to loosen it from the ground — and then the electric motor heaved the boulder and a clod of dirt into the air in a puff of dust. When they run on diesel, the biggest pieces of construction equipment can churn through 10 or more gallons of fuel per hour, emitting as much carbon and air pollution as several cars combined. Off-road equipment, including excavators, bulldozers, cranes and tractors, create about 3 percent of U.S. carbon emissions — roughly the same as the airline industry. Making these machines carbon-free would be almost as big a step toward halting climate change as taking all commercial planes out of the sky.” [The Washington Post, 6/17/24 (+)]

 

 

 

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