Building a Fleet Electrification Plan
A roadmap that reduces cost, avoids delays, and sets your district up for long-term success.
The benefits of electric school buses
When paired with financing, for which there are multiple options, this funding presents a remarkable opportunity for school districts to make the most of the fuel and maintenance savings that electric school buses offer. Furthermore, market experts anticipate declining electric school bus costs over time.
When paired with financing, for which there are multiple options, this funding presents a remarkable opportunity for school districts to make the most of the fuel and maintenance savings that electric school buses offer. Furthermore, market experts anticipate declining electric school bus costs over time.
Electric school bus investments support manufacturing jobs across the supply chain throughout the United States, and major electric school bus manufacturers have announced plans for hundreds of new manufacturing jobs combined in the coming years.
Because there are zero tailpipe emissions, there is a reduction in student exposure to harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxides, which contribute to respiratory and heart disease.
The disproportionate impact of diesel exhaust pollution mean that communities that have been historically disadvantaged are more likely to suffer from vehicle-based air pollution due to racist lending, transit, housing and zoning policies that concentrated Black and Brown communities closer to highways and other pollution sources.
The nameplate range of current electric school bus models is from 100 to 300 miles, enough to reliably cover most routes in operation. They also are built to work in all types of climates, from the winter cold of Colorado and Vermont to the desert heat of Arizona. Some routes also allow for regenerative braking, which recharges the battery and can extend range even further.
Electric school buses produce the lowest levels of greenhouse gas emissions of any school bus type, even when accounting for emissions generated in the production of the electricity used to power the buses.
Funding Opportunities
- Maryland Energy Administration
- Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicle Grant Program closes to applications on September 29, 2026
Examples of other states with ESBs:
Salt Lake City School District, UT
“Ken Martinez watched interior video footage of a little girl on board a school bus covering her ears and appearing agitated. She had been placed back on a diesel bus after the electric bus she had been riding on went into the shop for scheduled service. And she was not happy about the new experience. Her parents relayed that the vibrations of the diesel bus were negatively impacting her ride.”
“Peggy Stone, director of transportation at Lincoln County Schools in West Virginia, who also participated in the state’s pilot program, noted that some routes are not suitable for the ESBs. However she recalled starting her career as a bus driver and one little girl on the autism spectrum who would put her hands on her ears and scream while riding on the school bus. But electric school buses, she said, are quieter and provide a more comfortable ride, especially for students with disabilities.”
“The school district intentionally deployed electric school buses on routes that reported more student behavioral issues. After doing so, drivers noted that student behavior on the electric school buses is noticeably better than on the diesel-burning school buses that were deployed on those same routes initially. Between the 2022-23 and the 2024-25 school years, there was nearly a 50% reduction in reported behavioral incidents for routes that switched to electric.”
Steelton-Highspire School District, PA
“We’ve seen decreases in behavior with the electric buses,” Iskric said. “Kids show up a little bit less agitated.”
Clay County School District, WV
“Our data showed that it reduced the disruptions on the bus. The quietness, the calming, those kids behaved better. It was amazing to see.”