Fleets of inside combustion engine autos everywhere in the United States are being changed with electrical autos (EVs), amongst a lot of that are faculty buses. In actual fact, the Environmental Safety Company (EPA) has opened the second spherical of funding for its Clear Faculty Bus Program Grants. Right here’s what it is advisable know in regards to the EPA Clear Faculty Bus Program and the way to decide on the proper charging stations to your faculty’s EV bus fleet.
Clear Faculty Bus Program Overview
The primary objective of the EPA Clear Faculty Bus Program is to exchange eligible inside combustion engine (ICE) buses with electrical buses and to put in EV charging infrastructure for electrical bus fleets. Functions for the second spherical of funding are due on August 22, 2023, with recipients introduced between November 2023 to January 2024.
Who’s eligible for an EPA Clear Faculty Bus Grant?
Any of the next entities play a job within the leasing or buy of faculty buses or offering faculty bus companies:
Native or State governmental entities
Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and tribally managed colleges
Public constitution faculty districts
Eligible contractors
As well as, the EPA says that “nonprofit transportation associations which are operated primarily for scientific, academic, service, charitable or related functions within the public curiosity; aren’t organized primarily for revenue; and use their internet proceeds to keep up, enhance and/or increase their operations” may also apply for funding.
The grant web page notes that high-need native academic businesses, rural faculty districts, Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded faculty districts, and faculty districts that obtain primary assist funds for youngsters who reside on Indian land will obtain precedence.
How do you apply for the EPA Clear Faculty Bus Grant?
To be able to apply for this grant program, you will want:
Grants.gov account
Distinctive Entity Identifier (beforehand often called the DUNS quantity)
Present registration with the System for Award Administration (SAM.gov)
Word that every one these accounts and registrations might take as much as a month or extra to course of. Should you would not have a SAM.gov account, you may create one at login.gov. The EPA’s Clear Faculty Bus Program Grants web page additionally has assets that will help you along with your grant utility.
Selecting Your EV Chargers
Have your faculty bus fleet been chosen for a grant? Now it’s time to resolve how you can spend that cash on EV charging infrastructure. As with every fleet of EVs, Blink Charging recommends that colleges have a mix of Degree 2 chargers and Direct Present Quick Chargers (DCFCs). All fleets are completely different, and would require a special combine, however by having each Degree 2 chargers and DCFCs, you may cut back set up prices whereas accessing fast charging once you want it.
Degree 2 chargers like Blink’s MQ 200 can cost a battery in 4 to eight hours (relying on varied components), whereas a DCFC like Blink’s 30kW DCFC or Sequence 9 can typically cost autos in below an hour. Between these two forms of chargers, it is possible for you to to depart autos to cost in a single day or once they’re not getting used, whereas additionally accessing quick charging for once you want a automobile to be charged rapidly. The precise combination of Degree 2 and DCFCs will rely in your fleet measurement, utilization patterns, price range, and the out there energy at your bus depot. You need to use Blink’s Electrical Car Charging Time Calculator to determine how lengthy it should take to cost your new EV faculty bus fleet. Learn the way Blink powers electrical faculty buses on the Fontana Unified Faculty District.
Blink Charging helps private and non-private colleges throughout the nation electrify their faculty buses. Our staff of specialists can be a part of your fleet administration and amenities administration groups conduct a website evaluation and select the proper charging stations to your wants. And with our cloud-based Blink Fleet Administration, you may schedule charging, assign autos to fleet passes, and obtain charging and sustainability studies.
Prepared to modify your faculty bus fleet (or some other sort of fleet) from inside combustion to electrical? Contact the Blink gross sales staff immediately to get began.