If the city wants a fully electrical bus fleet, DASH leadership said its going to need to invest in making sure buses can recharge across the city.
In a meeting with the City Council ahead of the legislative session last night, DASH General Manager Josh Baker outlined some challenges facing the city as it pushes to have a fully electric bus fleet by 2035.
The city is already laying the groundwork for some of the infrastructure needs. DASH is currently undergoing an expansion that will add a new electric bus lot. There are other areas, though, where Baker said the city’s needs are outpacing technological limits.
“The technology is very new so we’re very much a pioneer on the implementation of this,” Baker said.
Some of the challenges to the electric bus fleet were already noted in earlier reports. Cold weather, for instance, can cause the batteries to drain more quickly because power is being redirected to heat. Other reports noted that electric buses can sometimes struggle with hills.
One of the larger issues, Baker said, is that electric buses will need to charge while traveling the city in-service rather than needing to come back to DASH headquarters.
“We need to see the technology continue to catch up to address charging infrastructure and we’re looking for ways to have equipment that can charge buses en route rather than bring them back to the facility, charge for several hours, and sent back out on service,” Baker said. “That’s what we need to figure out to have a fully electric fleet that’s sustainable.”
Baker also said that cost is currently an issue, with electric buses costing nearly twice as much as standard diesel buses.
“An electric bus costs several hundred thousand dollars more per unit than a standard diesel bus counterpart,” Baker said. “[It’s] $575,000 for a diesel and around $900,000 for electric.”
But Baker said as there’s more production and nationwide implementation of electric buses, that could change.
“Those numbers are coming down and we believe implementation across the country will help that, but it is early on,” Baker said. “We need to see the technology catch up.”
Photo via DASH/Facebook
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Monarch Montessori School located in the heart of Del Ray is enrolling children 6 weeks to 6 years of age for our half day and full day program.
Our hours of operation are 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday-Friday. Monarch Montessori School is open year round, with intermittent breaks.
Children engage in self-directed, self-initiated activities under the guidance of a trained Montessori teacher. Classroom sizes range from 8-12 students. Our robust curriculum includes botany, sensorial activities, the social graces, culture, math, science, practical life, geography, music appreciation and language arts.
You’ll get half off of the registration fee when you register and begin care with us before April 30, 2023.
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The HIPAA Seal of Compliance is issued to organizations that have implemented an effective HIPAA compliance program through the use of The Guard, Compliancy Group’s proprietary compliance tracking solution.
Clients and patients are becoming more aware of the requirements of HIPAA compliance and how the regulation protects their personal information. Forward-thinking providers like EDBS Dental Billing Solutions choose the HIPAA Seal of Compliance to differentiate their services.
Del Ray Dog Fest & Yappy Hour
The 1st Annual Del Ray Dog Fest is a fun outdoor event that will include dog-centered activities, dog menu items, live music, vendors and food on Sunday, April 2 from 11am- 3pm at the George Washington Middle School parking lot.
