Electricity

US school buses are going electric – here's why that's so crucial

Students getting on school buses.

Electrifying school buses can help address health concerns and inequalities. Image: REUTERS/Hannah Beier

Lydia Freehafer
Research Analyst, World Resources Institute
Leah Lazer
Research Analyst, International Climate team and PACE (Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy)
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A bar chart showing total number of committed* ESBs.
Diesel exhaust has proven links to serious physical health issues. Image: World Resources Institute.

A yellow school bus on top of a hill.
Approximately 92-95% of school buses today run on diesel. Image: Unsplash/Denisse Leon.

A map showing committed* electric school buses in the United States.
Maine gained nine electric school bus commitments. Image: World Resources Institute.

A map showing committed* electric school buses by state.
The first electric school bus begin operating in Ohio in September 2022. Image: World Resources Institute.
A bar chart showing top 10 states with the most committed* electric school buses.
California still leads in electric school bus adoption. Image: World Resources Institute.

A table showing the top 10 Electric School Bus Funding Sources.
Volkswagens have 646 ESBs funded. Image: World Resources Institute.

A table showing the top 5 School Districts by Number of Electric School Buses Committed*.
New York City Public Schools have 93 ESBs. Image: World Resources Institute.

A bar chart showing ESBs by manufacturer and current adoption stage.
The dataset includes 13 different electric school bus manufacturers. Image: World Resources Institute.
A graphic showing types of committed* ESBs
School buses are generally classified into four categories based on size and construction. Image: World Resources Institute.

A bar chart showing committed* ESBs by % of school district households that are low income.
Adoption patterns among communities of colour has stayed consistent. Image: World Resources Institute.
A bar chart showing committed* ESBs by % of school district population that is non-white and/or Hispanic.
Electric bus adoption appears to be occurring more equitably. Image: World Resources Institute.
A bar chart showing commited *ESBs by school district average PM2.5 pollution.
The number of ESBs committed has increased in the 4th quartile. Image: World Resources Institute.
A bar chart showing committed* ESBs by school district average ozone population.
23% of buses are in areas with the lowest levels of ozone. Image: World Resources Institute.

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ElectricityUnited StatesHealth and Healthcare
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