The State of Electric School Bus Adoption in the US

As of August 2021, fewer than 1% of U.S. school buses are electric, with adoption heavily concentrated in California and suburban areas. While 33 states have committed to electric buses, the report emphasizes that targeted public funding is essential to ensure these benefits reach vulnerable communities and rural areas, which currently lag in deployment despite the health risks posed by diesel emissions to students.

• As of August 2021, electric school bus adoption in the U.S. is very low, with fewer than 1% of the fleet being electric and only 1,164 buses committed (defined as announced, procured, delivered, or in operation).
• Adoption is geographically concentrated, with California leading in numbers and Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland making the largest single district commitment of 326 buses over four years. While 33 states have some form of electric bus commitment, 12 of the 14 districts that have committed to 10 or more buses are located in California.
• There is a significant disparity in bus distribution by locale; while 36% of districts with at least one electric bus are suburban, suburban areas hold two-thirds of all committed buses. In contrast, rural areas account for 17% of districts with electric buses but only 6% of the total committed buses.
• Targeted funding is critical for equity, as the high proportion of electric buses in vulnerable counties is primarily driven by California's state programs. Without California, only a small fraction of districts with electric buses are in the most vulnerable areas.
• The report argues that federal investments, such as the American Jobs Plan's proposed $20 billion and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework's $2.5 billion, are key opportunities for scaling. However, it warns that allocating funds to "clean" alternative fuels like natural gas or propane fails to meet decarbonization and equity goals.

APA

Lazer, L., Freehafer, L., Neuberger, J., & Worker, J. (2021). The State of Electric School Bus Adoption in the US. World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2022-11/electric-school-bus-adoption-insights-august-2021.pdf

Chicago

Lazer, Leah, Lydia Freehafer, Jillian Neuberger, and Jesse Worker. The State of Electric School Bus Adoption in the US. World Resources Institute, 2021. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2022-11/electric-school-bus-adoption-insights-august-2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lazer |first1=Leah |last2=Freehafer |first2=Lydia |last3=Neuberger |first3=Jillian |last4=Worker |first4=Jesse |title=The State of Electric School Bus Adoption in the US |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=5 August 2021 |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2022-11/electric-school-bus-adoption-insights-august-2021.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lazer2021state, author = {Lazer, Leah and Freehafer, Lydia and Neuberger, Jillian and Worker, Jesse}, title = {{The State of Electric School Bus Adoption in the US}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2021}, month = aug, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2022-11/electric-school-bus-adoption-insights-august-2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }