New York Parents Say Kids Freeze During Rides to School Because of Electric Buses
Parents in Erie CountyS Lake Shore Central School District say children have been riding cold electric school buses as drivers limit heater use to conserve battery power. Families reported students wearing hand warmers and, in some cases, waiting outside when buses broke down – one parent said his son waited over 35 minutes for a replacement bus. parents and local advocates note teh heaters draw from the same battery as propulsion, which can reduce driving range.
the district now operates 23 electric buses (20 bought with a $7.9 million EPA grant), alongside gasoline and diesel buses, after New York mandated all new school buses be electric by 2027. Officials and parents point to wider problems with some electric bus models: Maine’s education commissioner has raised concerns about Lion Electric vehicles and sought EPA intervention, and multiple districts have reported faults. As of fall 2024, the EPA had spent about $1 billion to deploy roughly 5,000 electric buses nationwide.
Parents in Erie County, New York, are complaining as their children freeze on electric school buses while drivers try to conserve battery life.
WIVB reported on Dec. 18 that several families in the Lake Shore Central School District are raising concerns as their children come home saying their buses were cold.
Some parents are even forced to send their children to school with hand warmers.
“The heaters on the bus run off the same electricity as the bus itself,” Scott Ziobro, a parent and former school board candidate, told WIVB.
“They were told that it drains the battery capacity of the bus itself.”
New York state has mandated that all new school buses purchased must be electric by 2027.
Lake Shore Central School District therefore has 23 electric school buses, alongside 24 gasoline buses and four diesel buses.
The school system bought 20 of the electric buses with the help of a $7.9 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Despite the new technology, some parents reported buses breaking down with their children inside, meaning they had to stand outside in the cold while another bus arrived.
“The bus broke down on route,” Chris Lampman, whose son allegedly had to stand in the cold, told WIVB.
“They deployed a substitute bus, and the bus was more than 30 minutes late. My son stood outside for over 35 minutes waiting for a bus that wasn’t coming,” he added.
“Some of those kids are on there for upwards of a half hour or more while the bus makes its route. There’s no reason that the kids should freeze for all that time.”
These are not the first reports of faulty electric school buses.
Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin wrote a letter to the EPA asking for waived penalties for not using buses provided by manufacturer Lion Electric, according to a report earlier this year from WGME-TV.
“Specifically, we urge the agency to pursue legal remedies, including claw-backs of federal funding or other resources provided to the company,” he wrote.
At least six districts in the state were reporting problems with Lion Electric buses acquired through federal programs.
As of fall 2024, the EPA spent $1 billion to put a mere 5,000 electric buses on the roads.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
