To help community members stay informed about the performance and progress of its electric bus fleet, the Newfield Central School District has launched a new Electric Buses Data Page on its website. The page, now live at www.newfieldschools.org/page/electric-buses, features live data and key observations from daily bus logs, offering a transparent look at how the district’s implementation of electric transportation is working in real time.
Real-Time Data from the Road
Since January 2025, the district's electric vehicle (EV) drivers have been documenting each trip using a detailed log that includes vehicle number, date, time, temperature, starting and ending charge levels, mileage, and any operational notes. The logs are updated every school day, offering an unfiltered look at how EV buses – E2, E3, and E4 – are performing under a variety of conditions.
Due to a capital project beginning this spring that includes a full reconstruction of the district’s bus garage, electric bus operations will be temporarily paused. During construction, the EV chargers will be inaccessible and the electric buses will be stored at dealer lots in Syracuse. As a result, no new trip data will be recorded between mid April through August. The data currently available on the site reflects approximately four months of daily logs, and data collection will resume in September when the EV fleet is back on the road.
“This is about being transparent with our community,” said Perry Gorgen, Business Administrator. “We want residents to see for themselves what the buses are doing—not just the good days, but all the days.”
What the Data Shows
Through careful analysis of the daily logs, the district has identified several trends:
Cold Weather Performance: EV buses have successfully operated in extreme temperatures, including -10°F, provided they are preheated while plugged in.
Rural Route Readiness: Buses routinely complete long rural routes with ample battery life to spare. For instance, on March 5th, Bus E4 finished its morning run with 58% charge remaining.
Cost Savings: With electric buses averaging $0.12 per mile versus $0.34 per mile for diesel, full EV route saves the district an estimated $3,300 annually in fuel costs alone.
Reliable Daily Usage: EVs are demonstrating reliability across full-day operations.Over the 3 months of data collection, downtime worked out to less than one day per month per bus.
Maintenance & Charging: While the district is still fine-tuning its charging communication systems, EVs are not experiencing more breakdowns than diesel buses.
Infrastructure Support: To date, about $350,000 has been spent on electrical upgrades and charging infrastructure - and our garage will be capable of supporting full fleet electrification over the next 10 years. Grants and state aid are covering 95% of this cost, with the district only paying about $19,000. The fuel savings will pay this back over 2-3 years, and the fuel savings from there on out will help the district's bottom line.
Frequently Asked Questions & Answers from the District
The new webpage also includes a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section addressing common community concerns about EV bus weight, emissions, cost-effectiveness, and infrastructure investments.
Community members are encouraged to visit the site regularly to track new updates and gain new insights. Anyone with questions can reach out directly to Perry Gorgen at pgorgen@newfieldschools.org.
How to Access the Electric Bus Webpage
You can find the Electric Bus Data Page in one of two ways:
Go to www.newfieldschools.org
→ Click the “Menu” in the top right corner
→ Scroll to the Departments section
→ Select “Electric Buses” (listed just under “Transportation”)
Or, type in your browser: