Toyota Remains Steadfast On Hybrids, Senate Bill Suggests EV School Buses Have Dual Purpose

The lack of EV news from Toyota is intentional, and EV school buses might be able feed power back into the grid.

What vehicle has short run times, no real need for long range, yet still has a capacity for a huge battery? School buses! That’s the hope of senator Angus King of Maine. His new bill promotes the “Bidirectional Act.” This program would take advantage of bi-directional charging. In theory the buses would be able to add power back into the grid when needed. It wouldn’t affect a car that you have plugged in at home.

It makes sense. Most of the time when buses are in use are for a short period of time, and then parked just after school hours – right when most folks are home and energy consumption is at its peak. Electrek reports that just two electric school buses contain enough energy capacity to power six hundred homes. Many schools – let alone districts – have plenty more than that. Not only are greenhouse gases reduced tremendously, but the extra reserve of power on the grid could be pivotal in the initial shift to electric cars.

Toyota doesn’t think EV’s are the full answer, instead landing their allegiance with hybrids.

While most other automotive companies have declared their intent to be 100% electric, Toyota stands unusually resilient. Once known for their quality and efficiency in electrified cars, it’s easy to assume Toyota would be in a position to lead the way for EV adaptation. The Prius changed the automotive landscape for hybrid cars, after all.

Still, we have learned from a CNBC report that Akio Toyoda, the brand’s CEO, has said “everything is going to be up to the customers to decide.” He justifies this decision based on evidence that other parts of the world are going to be late to adapt to EV cars, or unable to all together. Additionally, Toyota plans to present its own finding on the “entire environmental impact of producing EVs compared with hybrid electrified vehicles.”

CEO Toyoda added that all electric adaptation will take longer than most expect, and that the company will “play with all the cards in the deck.” This may be in reference to hybrids, or Toyota’s development of hydrogen fuel cell technology.

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Photos courtesy of Electrek, CNBC