Extended Storage of Bus Batteries

Extended Storage of Bus Batteries

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to present a variety of operational challenges to the nation’s school bus fleet. One specific issue pertains to buses kept in storage for a longer period of time than normal.

During this extended storage there may be electronics continuously drawing on the batteries, causing the voltage to drop below the level required to start the engine. In order to ensure your batteries have ample starting power upon the next use of the bus, it’s important that proactive preventative maintenance steps are taken to preserve the energy stored in each battery.

Blue Bird has prepared a tip sheet for Extended Storage of Bus Batteries that will provide some useful tips on how to maintain your batteries.

Download the PDF for further details on battery maintenance.

As per Blue Bird's long-standing warranty policy, any battery warranty claims are submitted to the battery manufacturer, not Blue Bird.

Battery warranties have always excluded batteries which are only discharged or have failed as a result of negligence. However, due to the extraordinary changes in school bus fleet usage during the COVID pandemic, these exceptions may now being enforced. Failure to maintain state of charge on bus batteries will not likely be considered a warrantable repair.

We know this can present challenges and potentially unreimbursable costs to customers, and unfortunately have no control over this situation. Should you have concerns about how this may impact your fleet, please reach out to us to discuss this. Our goal is to be transparent and upfront about this issue.

We appreciate your business and partnership during this most challenging year and always.

Questions? Contact Doug Pettina, Director of New Bus Service, at (503) 905-0054 or via email.