School Bus Trends to Watch
2022 Bus Trends
Class is back in session. Kind of. Yes, there are still temporary school closures thanks to COVID and extended breaks due to teacher shortages, but, for the most part, schools everywhere are back to normal. That means school buses are back on the roads, picking up, dropping off, heading out on field trips, and shuttling sports teams to the big game. Buses are critical to school operations and have remained pretty much unchanged for decades. Until now.
Electrification
The transformation of the school bus has begun. Electric buses are already making the rounds and proving to be the game-changer everyone expected. And why wouldn’t they be? School bus routes are consistent, predictable, at regular scheduled hours within a relatively small radius and the buses are parked in a central depot overnight. In other words, they’re perfect candidates for electrification. And to grease the wheels, governments at the state, local and national level are providing generous support to districts who wish to electrify their fleet.
The IC Bus Electric CE Series is ready for the challenge. And by offering three different battery packages, it can be tailored to the range and budget requirements of the district. To help districts navigate the process of going electric, Navistar has formed the NEXT eMobility team, who will walk districts through the whole process, from charging and infrastructure considerations to finding available grants – ultimately creating a scalable total solution built around the specific needs of any district.
Advanced Safety Technology
Bus Driver Shortages
To boost hiring, districts are now starting to offer bonuses and higher wages – and some have even started to pay families to drive their own kids to school to ease the burden on the staff drivers. But like any municipal department, budgets are tight and often can’t absorb unplanned costs. If the problem gets worse, some districts may be forced to revert to on-line learning – which nobody wants to see happen.
Market Growth
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