-November 19, 2021 at 8:08 AM Pacific Time

In October 2020, Electrek reported that Alaska has the first electric school bus. The following is the operation of the first and only electric school bus in The Last Frontier more than a year later.

This electric school bus, made by Thomas Built Buses in North Carolina, is picking up children in Tok Township in the Tanana Valley in eastern Alaska. A bus worth US$400,000 costs US$50,000 because a program of the Alaska Energy Agency covers the rest.

Tok Transportation purchased the bus with a grant from the Alaska Energy Agency and replaced one of the seven diesel school buses in the town.

Electric school buses are stored in the bus shed and are charged by solar panels on the bus shed. These solar panels are purchased with grants and are also powered by local utility companies.

State regulations require the interior of the bus to be kept at least 45F. (Hey, this is Alaska, kids know how to dress warmly.)

Gerald Blackard, co-owner of Tok Transportation, explained (via Alaska Public Media) how electric school buses behave in extremely cold temperatures:

It did not miss a day of school.

We found that the bus heated up very well. It keeps the interior at a normal temperature.

Even with a little insulation of the battery and some kind of coverage in the engine compartment, in order to absorb as much heat as possible, we still use more energy to heat the bus instead of driving the bus.

On January 27th, we have the following 38.

The efficiency of the bus that day was 3.46 kilowatts per mile. So this fall, between August and September, our operating speed was between 1.4 and 1.7 kilowatts per mile.

Blackard shares his collected data with all bus stakeholders, including the Alaska Energy Agency, Alaska Energy and Power Center, heavy-duty vehicle battery manufacturers Proterra, and Thomas Built Buses.

It's nice to hear how strong the electric school bus is in extremely cold conditions. It makes sense that heating the interior uses more energy than actually driving a bus. This is a large internal space to warm up.

Of course, it is good to warm up the battery before driving the vehicle.

We are interested to see if electric bus companies like Thomas Built Buses and Canada-based Lion Electric Company can come up with a more efficient way to heat buses without consuming electricity.

Would heated seats help instead of exploding around all the hot air? This is what people do to save electricity in electric vehicles. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Read more: 6 ways to get the best range of your electric car in winter

Understanding solar energy is a free service that connects you with the top solar installers in your area to make a personalized solar estimate. Tesla now offers price matching, so it is important to buy the best offer. Click here to learn more and get a quote. - *advertise.

FTC: We use car affiliate links that earn revenue. more.

Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube to get exclusive videos and subscribe to podcasts.

Michelle Lewis is the writer and editor of Electrek and the editor of DroneDJ, 9to5Mac and 9to5Google. She lives in St. Petersburg, Florida. She previously worked in companies such as "Fast Company", "Guardian", "Depth News", and "Time". Leave a message for Michelle on Twitter or via michelle@9to5mac.com. Check out her personal blog.

Ford announces 2022 Mustang Mach-E price and features

2023 Electric Mini Cooper S

Volkswagen confirms plans for ID California electric camper

Tesla has now approved 7 electric vehicles in India

You must be logged in to leave a comment.