New York has mandated that all school bus purchases in the state be electric by 2027, and problems are already surfacing.
A new report revealed that parents in one school district of the Empire State are up in arms over some school bus drivers allegedly skimping on the heat in the electric vehicles to conserve the life of the batteries.
WIVB News 4 reported that it “has received several calls from concerned parents in the school district, which covers parts of Angola, Brant, and Derby, regarding their child’s bus trips to and from school, claiming they’re coming in freezing when they get home after getting off the bus.”
(Video Credit: WIVB News 4)
Scott Ziobro, whose children attend schools in the district, told the outlet, “The heaters on the bus run off the same electricity as the bus itself.”
“They were told that it drains the battery capacity of the bus itself,” Ziobro, a former school board candidate, explained.
The report noted that every parent who spoke with the outlet had heard of “at least one report of some of the buses breaking down,” and even shared photos of a district electric bus being towed.
Chris Lampman recounted how his son allegedly had to stand in freezing temperatures after the bus was towed away.
“The bus broke down on route,” he 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. 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.”
“My grandson came home from school last week when it was 23 degrees,” Lynn Urbino, a grandmother, told the outlet. “He said they didn’t have heat. He came in cold, and I told him, I said, ‘Isn’t the bus warm?’ And he said, ‘No, they can’t put the heat on because it drains the battery.’”
Democrats in the blue state plowed ahead with passing EV mandates when Joe Biden was in the White House. But even at the time, it was known that there would be problems, though warnings were evidently disregarded as funds were spent to purchase the electric vehicles, and the safety of children was ignored.
“It’s well known that EVs lose some of their travel range in the cold, especially in subzero temperatures like those that hit the nation’s mid-section this week. Studies found that range loss varies from 10 percent to 36 percent,” PBS reported in 2024. “EVs also don’t charge as quickly in extreme cold.”
Lake Shore Central School District currently operates 23 electric buses and said “student comfort and safety remain a priority, and district operations continue to meet all applicable requirements. If any concerns arise, families and staff are encouraged to contact the district directly so they can be addressed promptly.”
In a statement, Superintendent Phil Johnson said that “District procedures are that heat remains on for the full duration of student transportation.”
“All routes are planned so that the electric bus battery capacity is more than sufficient to support both the route and continuous heating, even in winter weather,” Johnson added in a statement. “The district values its transportation staff and continues to provide training and support to ensure students and staff are safely transported. We appreciate the efforts of our staff as we navigate our transition to electric buses as required by NYS.”
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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