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School Buses

Introduction

School buses are far more eco-friendly than driving kids to school. The number of kids driven to school each year has been steadily rising, bringing with it dangers from toxic fumes, as well as higher rates of car accidents, which are particularly dangerous for the kids who will walk or ride. Even kids getting in and out of cars are at elevated risk as the areas surrounding schools gets more congested.

Walking, cycling, and other modes of active transport are by far the healthiest options for kids, giving them both physical exercise, but also giving their brains a boost before sitting in classrooms all day.

Check out our How To: Walk & Bike to School Program page if you want to learn more about getting kids active, and maki

How To: Walk & Bike to School Program

Unfortunately walking and cycling aren't an option for all students! Some may need to get a lift due to disabilities, dangerous obstacles like major freeways, or simply living too far from their schools. This is where buses come in!

Why You Want Your Kid's School Bus to Be Electric

"There are a lot of reasons it makes sense for school buses to go electric. First, most new electric buses have a range of up to 120 miles (193 kilometers) on a single charge, which is plenty far enough for the average school bus route. Second, some charging systems, like the new 120kW DC Fast Charger from Bluebird, can charge a bus in just 90 minutes. Plus, electric buses also require a lot less maintenance than their diesel counterparts.

But it's also simple numbers: School buses currently make up around 80 percent of the buses on the roads in the U.S. and 95 percent of those run on high-polluting diesel fuel. Right now, less than 1 percent are electric. (For context, the entire U.S. transit fleet has around 70,000 public transportation buses, which is less than 15 percent of the total number of 480,000 school buses.)

"Transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.," says Lauren Justice, development director at the Center for Transportation and the Environment. "The medium- and heavy-duty sector produces more than 25 percent of these emissions, despite comprising less than 5 percent of vehicles on the road."

If the entire school bus fleet were electrified, greenhouse gas emissions from all buses in the U.S. would be reduced by around 50 percent.

Along with the issue of adding greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, increasing global warming and its associated risks, these emissions are also harmful for the 20 million school children who ride these buses to school. Not only are these buses emitting in the neighborhoods through which they drive, but the pollution inside the bus can actually be up to 12 times higher than ambient levels.

Why You Want Your Kid's School Bus to Be ElectricElectric school buses are a very, very good idea. They cut greenhouse emissions, for one, but there are several more reasons the U.S. should transition its massive diesel-fueled school bus fleet to electric.

In addition, it's an issue of equity. According to the World Resources Institute, students from low-income communities are particularly exposed to this toxic pollution. From WRI:

Sixty percent of students from low-income families ride the bus to school, compared to 45 percent of students from families with higher incomes. Moreover, communities of color are more likely to suffer from vehicle-based air pollution due to historically racist lending, transit, housing and zoning policies that concentrated black and brown communities closer to highways and other pollution sources.

"Switching from diesel-powered school buses to electric could avoid an average of 5.3 million tons [4.8 metric tons] of greenhouse gas emissions each year, and over 700,000 pounds [317,514 kilograms] of EPA-criteria pollutants emitted near children," Justice says." - How Stuff Works

Resources

For Districts & Schools

Power Planner for Electric School Bus Deployment (PDF) "Nine Key Steps for School Districts"

Step-by-Step Guide for School Bus Electrification "Your detailed guide to the things to know, steps to take, stakeholders to consult, and questions to ask for a successful and equitable transition to electric school buses." Select stages from the list on the left, to read more about each step."

For Students

How Students Can Take Action for Electric School Buses "As a student, you face the greatest risk of the dangers of school bus diesel exhaust pollution. Here’s what you can do."

Asia

India

A Case For, Electric school buses in India (article)

A Case For, Electric school buses in IndiaSchool buses are an important part of any child going to a private school in India. According to the UDISE report 2021-22, there are 3,35,844 private

North America

Canada

British Columbia

Go Electric School Bus Program - Other Resources (PDF)

Ontario

Yellow Buses Go Green "A review of the climate, health, and economic benefits of accelerating electric school bus adoption across Ontario"

Electric School Buses

USA

Alliance for Electric School Buses: Resources "coalition members have been helping to bring electric school buses to communities across the country for many years. Here are some of the resources they’ve developed, for school districts, advocates and elected leaders! Feel free to use them and share them." Recursos en Español.
EPA: Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Resources "DOE offers electric school bus education via their series, “Flipping the Switch on Electric School Buses”, that covers everything from electric school bus basics to utility considerations, charging infrastructure, and more."
EPA: Clean School Bus Program
EPA: Clean School Bus Technical Assistance
How to Apply for Clean School Bus Program Funding

Clean School Bus Program | US EPA

Florida

Florida Department of Environmental Protection: Electric School Bus Project – Initial Phase Application Worksheet (PDF) "Florida public school districts may use this grant application worksheet to apply for up to 100 percent cost-reimbursement from the Department for the replacement of 2009 or older diesel school buses with new electric battery powered school buses and associated charging infrastructure. Funding in the amount of $5 million will be provided on a first come, first served basis. School districts within an Air Quality Priority Area designated in the Mitigation Plan are eligible for this initial phase."
Florida Department of Environmental Protection: Application Worksheet (PDF) "Florida public school districts may use this grant application worksheet to apply for up to 75 percent cost-reimbursement from the Department for the replacement of 2009 or older diesel Type C or Type D school buses with new electric-battery powered Type C or Type D school buses. Only school districts within an Air Quality Priority Area designated in the Mitigation Plan are eligible for this project. School districts must provide at least a 25 percent cost share. Funding in the amount of $57 million will be provided on a competitive basis with school districts that provide the highest cost share being prioritized."

Virginia

Arlington Public Schools: Bus Eligibility Zones "Bus Eligibility Zone maps are designed to assist families in planning safe routes to school."

Oceana

Australia

Next stop: Zero emissions buses by 2030 (PDF) "To reduce rising transport emissions, policies to support the electrification of public transport bus fleets by 2030 should be prioritised."

Western Australia

Electric school buses for Western Australia: Feasibility Study "This research will assess the feasibility of battery-electric buses for regional school bus services in Western Australia; identify and, where needed, propose solutions for electricity network capacity constraints; and identify the technical support services required for zero emissions buses and related infrastructure.
...
This page will be a living record of this project. As it matures, hits milestones, etc., we’ll continue to add information, links, images, interviews and more. Watch this space! "

Programs

Europe

Italy

Enel X "in Rome... Through a partnership between XBus (a joint venture between Enel X with Infracapital) and Arriva Italia 20 new electric buses for daily school transportation for more than a thousand children with disabilities in the capital. “The project in question is tangible proof of how it is possible to combine sustainability and inclusion“, Enel X stresses." - Sustainable Bus

Poland

“Kangaroo: A Safe and Environmentally Friendly Way to School” Programme (Article) "They take pupils to school in three Polish communes: Godzianów, Gręboszów and Bielany."

North America

Antigua

Donated Electric Buses to be Added to School Bus Fleet "“These are two 20-seater school buses [with] a hundred miles of drivable range, so you can achieve everywhere you want to go in Antigua – there and back – a couple times over. [Additionally], you get exposure, these kids will get an understanding of what the future will look like,” Barreto said."

Canada

British Columbia

Go Electric School Bus program

USA

EPA: Clean School Bus Program "With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s new Clean School Bus Program provides $5 billion over the next five years (FY 2022-2026) to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission models."

California

School Bus Replacement Program "offers funds to replace old diesel school buses in disadvantaged and low-income communities throughout California. The California Energy Commission is helping schools embrace next-generation zero-emission vehicles and improve children’s health by reducing their exposure to transportation-related air pollution."

Hawaii

Hawaii unveils five new electric buses "These buses are the first in the nation to provide clean transportation for keiki going to school -- and for tourists." Funded for via the Diesel School Bus Replacement Program

Hawaii unveils five new electric busesThese buses are the first in the nation to provide clean transportation for keiki going to school -- and for tourists.

New York

New York State: NYSERDA: Electric School Buses "The State is leading the way with its legislative framework to require school bus fleet transition and making available funding to support this effort. NYSERDA can assist your school district or your district’s bus contractor with technical assistance to navigate the transition to an all-electric fleet."

Texas

Texas Clean School Bus Program "The Texas Clean School Bus (TCSB) program is a comprehensive program designed to reduce emissions of diesel exhaust from school buses."

Virginia

Dominion Electricity: Electric School Buses "we are committed to helping Virginia become a leader in clean pupil transportation, while reducing our carbon footprint and helping our customers do the same. In 2019, we announced that we would partner with Virginia school districts as they began replacing diesel buses in their fleets with electric models.

We will continue our commitment by providing fast-charging solutions to help school districts that receive electric school bus funding from federal and state grants. This ongoing initiative will further benefit our environment, our communities, our schools, and most importantly, our children."

West Virginia

GreenPower Launches Second Round of All-Electric School Bus Pilot Project in Four New West Virginia School Districts

Oceana

Australia

Gold Coast School Jumps Onboard Electric School Bus Trial to Inspire Curious Young Minds (Article) "The trial is the only one of its type on the Gold Coast, with the school hoping to transition its fleet over five years."

Organizations

North America

Canada

Canadian Electric School Bus Alliance (also in French)

British Columbia

The Association of School Transportation Services of BC

USA

Alliance for Electric School Buses "We believe that electric school buses can help protect children’s health (and even boost their academic performance) while helping the United States reach its climate and environmental justice goals. Together, organizing our communities and calling for change, we can provide our children a cleaner ride to school." Por Español.
Beneficial Electrification League (BEL) "a non-profit organization that works closely with rural electric cooperatives and public power utility providers on electrification initiatives, have joined with EPA to pledge their support for school bus electrification."
Electric School Bus Initiative

Virginia

Dominion Electricity: Electric School Buses "we are committed to helping Virginia become a leader in clean pupil transportation, while reducing our carbon footprint and helping our customers do the same. In 2019, we announced that we would partner with Virginia school districts as they began replacing diesel buses in their fleets with electric models.

We will continue our commitment by providing fast-charging solutions to help school districts that receive electric school bus funding from federal and state grants. This ongoing initiative will further benefit our environment, our communities, our schools, and most importantly, our children."

Maps

North America

USA

The State of Electric School Bus Adoption in the US "Districts across the country are making the switch to electric. We're keeping track." This page offers two maps and a variety of graphs.

Grants & Funding

Be aware that if a grant opportunity is "closed", there is a good chance it will be renewed another year. Be sure to check back or sign up for notifications with your local grant organizations.