Barriers to Adopting Electric Buses

This report by the World Resources Institute identifies technological, financial, and institutional barriers to the adoption of electric buses, drawing on 16 case studies to provide a guide for planning officials, particularly in the global south.

• The report categorizes barriers to electric bus adoption into three general types of clean energy innovation obstacles: technological, financial, and institutional. These are further analyzed across three elements: vehicles and batteries, agencies and operators, and grid and charging infrastructure.
• Technological barriers are primarily driven by a lack of information for decision-making and the current operational limits of charging infrastructure and e-buses.
• Financial barriers include the difficulty of modifying rigid procurement structures and a shortage of sustainable, long-term financing options.
• Institutional barriers are caused by a lack of pragmatic public policy and political leadership, as well as deficiencies in funding, institutional authority, and available physical real-estate.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Barriers to Adopting Electric Buses. https://www.wri.org/research/barriers-adopting-electric-buses

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Barriers to Adopting Electric Buses. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/barriers-adopting-electric-buses.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Barriers to Adopting Electric Buses |url=https://www.wri.org/research/barriers-adopting-electric-buses |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendbarriers, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Barriers to Adopting Electric Buses}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/barriers-adopting-electric-buses}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }