The use of electric school buses continues to increase

Commitments for buses have increased by 1,000 percent since 2021, and there are currently around 5,000 buses on the road. December 3, 2024

According to the latest update from the World Resources Institute (WRI) Electric School Bus Initiative, the number of electric school bus commitments in U.S. school districts has increased 1,000 percent since 2021.

As of October 1, WRI reported a total of 12,241 commitments for electric school buses, divided into four phases:

• Grants were provided for the purchase
• Enter into a formal purchase agreement with a dealer or manufacturer
• Were delivered to school districts or fleet operators
• Are in operation.

Of the commitments, WRI says approximately 5,000 buses will serve 254,000 students in 49 states, Washington DC, American Samoa and Puerto Rico, as well as seven tribal schools.

More than two-thirds of the buses deployed were funded by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program, which has provided nearly $3 billion to fund over 8,000 replacement school buses in 1,200 school districts.

The bipartisan infrastructure bill of 2021 provides funding for the electric bus program. A fourth round of funding worth $1 billion was announced in September 2024.

Key findings from WRI’s October report include:

• 4,958 buses have already been delivered or are in use
• 5,906 have been awarded to school districts but have not yet been ordered or delivered
• There are currently 1,400 buses on order with school districts

Since 2012, when the first electric school buses came onto the market, 52 percent of all electric bus commitments have been converted into bus orders.

California leads the U.S. in electric bus adoption with 3,110, followed by New York with 784, Illinois 617, Pennsylvania 469 and Florida with 467.

State legislatures across the country are also supporting the switch to electric school buses. WRI reports that as of 2022, seven states have legislated requirements to transition to zero-emission school buses. Colorado, Michigan, and Washington DC have non-binding transition goals that aim to operate 100 percent zero-emission buses by 2035, convert 100 percent of school bus sales to electric vehicles by 2030, and replace 100 percent of school buses with electric models starting in 2021.

The five largest school districts that ordered, delivered or operated electric buses as of October 2024 are:

1. Montgomery Public Schools (Maryland), 326
2. Los Angeles Unified School District, 321
3. Miami-Dade County Public Schools, 125
4. Boston Public Schools, 114
5. Clayton County (Georgia) School District, 100.

Dave Lubach is editor-in-chief of Facility Markets.

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