Number of Electric school buses in US up 10-fold in nearly 4 years

18 / 10 / 2024

By Marwa Nassar - -

The number of electric school buses on the road or on the way in the US has increased nearly 10-fold from the start of 2021 to August 2024.

The Bezos Earth Fund, in partnership with World Resources Institute (WRI), is supporting school districts, community organizations, utilities, manufacturers, and policymakers to build unstoppable momentum toward electrifying the nation’s entire fleet of school buses.

Across the United States, roughly 480,000 buses transport some 20 million students to and from school every day. The vast majority of these run on diesel fuel, which impacts air quality, climate change, and human health.

Kids are especially vulnerable to air pollution because their bodies are still developing. Diesel fumes have proven links to serious physiological issues, including asthma, which is a leading cause of absenteeism, as well as negative cognitive health impacts, like lower test scores.

“The Bezos Earth Fund is committed to the equitable transition to electric school buses nationwide,” said Kelly Levin, the Earth Fund’s Chief of Science, Data, and Systems Change, “and we support a future in which all young people, starting with those most impacted by the harms of diesel pollution, enjoy electric, healthy rides to school.”

Nearly every state in the US has committed to purchasing electric school buses. Many of them are concentrated in districts in California, Florida, Maryland, and Massachusetts, which were early actors. More recently, districts in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Texas have seen a surge in demand.

Kenni Jean Schrader oversees a fleet of 28 routes covering 139 square miles and transporting 1,400 students daily in the town of Three Rivers, Michigan. “We have seen some very positive impacts on children,” she said. Schrader is Three Rivers’ Transportation Director, and an Electric School Bus Ambassador for WRI. “This includes the students we transport from larger “group stops” who are not exposed to the harmful tailpipe emissions, as well as students with sensory concerns, and students who may be on the bus for an extended period of time.”

Of course, electrifying every school bus in the country is going to take a lot more work. Bezos Earth Fund President and CEO Sir Andrew Steer said “There is still a long road ahead to get to full fleet electrification. We are embarking upon a major disruption, and there will be challenges along the way – but make no mistake that the signs are pointing in the right direction.”