US electric school bus adoption hits new high, detractors debate practicality

More electric school buses are set to hit American roadways than ever before, jumping by more than 200% since the start of 2022. There are now electric school bus commitments in 49 states, simulated by an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rebate program, which awarded over $900 million for thousands of these vehicles across the nation.

“This investment will transform how millions of students get to school each and every day. It will help clean the air we breathe, protect public health and tackle the climate crisis,” said Michael Regan, administrator of the EPA. “These efforts will help build a better America by sending a strong signal to the industry and communities that zero-emission vehicles, they are the future.”

This initiative is part of the $5 billion earmarked within the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission models by 2026. The EPA projects that come 2027, nearly one-third of all school buses will be electric.

To keep up with growing demand, Blue Bird — one of the nation’s oldest school bus manufacturers — is investing millions in a new Electric Vehicle Build-up Center. The company hopes this new facility will help increase their production capacity from four electric buses per day to 20. Doing so would ultimately allow Blue Bird to output around 5,000 of these vehicles annually, more than quadrupling the number it currently has in operation.

“Based on the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law alone we anticipate thousands of additional electric school bus orders valued at an estimated $1 billion over five years,” said Phil Horlock, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corporation. “Our new EV Build-up Center reflects Blue Bird’s steadfast commitment to school districts across the U.S. and Canada to meet increasing demand and deliver clean, safe and reliable student transportation when they need it.”

Experts say there are a number of potential benefits from this coming transition to electric school buses. A study by the World Resources Institute found that electrifying the full school bus fleet in the United States by 2030 would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 9 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of taking 2 million cars off the roads.

Because electric school bus motors create no tailpipe emissions, they reduce students’ exposure to dangerous air pollutants. That keeps students safe from the serious physical dangers of diesel exhaust pollution.

Electric School Bus Initiative

“Because electric school bus motors create no tailpipe emissions, they reduce students’ exposure to dangerous air pollutants,” the Electric School Bus Initiative said. “That keeps students safe from the serious physical dangers of diesel exhaust pollution. Reducing students’ exposure to air pollution from school buses has been shown to have positive and significant effects.”

Each electric school bus produces less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of their diesel or propane-powered counterpart. They also offer reduced health risks when compared to the over 40 toxic air contaminants that exhaust fumes from diesel buses contain.

“Diesel engine exhaust is carcinogenic to humans, based on sufficient evidence that exposure is associated with an increased risk for lung cancer,” said the American Lung Association. “Clean, electric school buses are better for kids’ health. School bus electrification is an important part of making the air healthier for everyone, especially children.”

Electrifying bus fleets also can save school districts money in the long-run, at an average of $6,000 every year on operational expenditures. Duncan McIntyre, CEO of Highland Electric Fleets — a company contracting services for electric school buses — said the maintenance costs are “probably about a third of the cost of a combustion engine vehicle.”

However, opponents of the movement say a mass adoption of electric school buses still is not practical. While the cost of maintaining these buses is less than those with combustion engines, their upfront expense is three to four times higher, coming with a price tag of around $350,000 to $450,000.

“If I have to replace my entire fleet of buses, and let’s say the most expensive bus I have is $160,000, to replace everything with a bus that’s going to cost $400,000, that’s huge, that’s really significant to our budget,” said Mellissa Mulvey, a school superintendent in western New York.

Additional concerns include the range of the batteries, which are capped at around 100 miles, making longer commutes or field trips difficult with an electric school bus. Newer models are being developed with batteries that will allow them to travel greater distance in an effort to alleviate some of these fears.

“If somebody handed me an endless amount of money and said ‘electrify your entire fleet tomorrow,’ there will be some routes that would be challenging to electrify today,” said Boston School District’s Deputy Director of Transportation Jacqueline Hayes. “But we’re pretty confident that technology is going to get there in the next five years.”

Meanwhile, rural communities have also voiced opposition due to the scarcity of EV chargers and the toll electric school buses would take on their local power grid. The EPA has said it will prioritize funding for these rural districts and others that are most in need of assistance.

EPA will prioritize applications that will replace buses serving low-income, rural and Tribal communities.

Environmental Protection Agency

“EPA will prioritize applications that will replace buses serving low-income, rural and Tribal communities,” the EPA said in a statement. “Large school districts with communities of concentrated poverty also will be prioritized if their application focuses on clean school buses serving those communities.”

Officials hope that those government funds will help clear these hurdles, making charging technology more widely available and reducing the costs faced by school districts. Solving this issue comes with a ticking clock, as more and more states are now setting deadlines to mandate the purchase of only electric school buses going forward.