Lars Larson: Oregon buys into Biden’s E-bus boondoggle

By Lars Larson,
NW and national radio host

Remember when I did a deep dive into the Trimet Transit agency’s foolish purchase of electric buses?

They cost twice as much as diesel, have a much shorter life, and estimated payoff from fuel savings…250 years.

This week, Joe Biden sent failed Border Czar Kamala Harris out to the Northwest to announce the government giveaway of a billion dollars for electric school buses.

And, you guessed it, they’re wasting your money, again.

A clean diesel school bus costs 125-thousand dollars.

The electric buses cost three times as much: about 400-thousand .

For that extra 275-thousand you get a bus that might save as little as 4-thousand bucks in fuel every year. The most you’ll save? About 11 grand.

Even a 6th grader could work this story problem.

How many years does it take for the extra cost of the battery bus to pay off?

The very best scenario has payoff at 27 years…while using the lower numbers put it at 60 years.

And the punchline…electric bus batteries drop in range sharply at ten years…and typically need replacement at 12.

The schools in Banks, Oregon plans to buy 11 of them.

I hope they have better luck than the Washington school district that owns three of these boondoggle buses. None are on the road because they’re busted and no one can find parts or knows how to fix em.