In recent years, transportation has been under scrutiny for its contributions to climate change, air pollution, and general health and wellbeing. This has ignited rapid growth and maturation in the market for zero-emission vehicles. This trend is expected to continue in the foreseeable future, and
with nearly 500,000 yellow school buses on US roads, the student transportation industry is not immune to this paradigm shift, with many operators nationwide now beginning to explore opportunities related to zero-emission bus implementation.
Many states across the US have implemented mandates which require school bus fleets to transition to zero emission by a certain date, which adds further urgency to the situation. With initiatives such as the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, which has earmarked $5 billion in grants and rebates over 5 years (FY 2022-2026) to foster school bus electrification, the opportunity to explore the merits of zero-emission bus deployment has never been more compelling. However, the transition to electric school buses is not without its challenges. Technology readiness,operational impacts, and costs all have the potential to present significant barriers that must be navigated.
