The State of Electric School Bus Adoption in the US

As of December 2022, there are 5,612 committed electric school buses in the US, a significant increase driven largely by the EPA's Clean School Bus Rebate Program. While California leads in total numbers, adoption has expanded to all 50 states and is increasingly concentrated in low-income and minority communities, though the report emphasizes the need for continued focus on equity and infrastructure support.

• As of December 2022, the number of committed electric school buses in the United States reached 5,612, which is nearly double the figure reported in September 2022. Of these, 1,398 are either on order, delivered, or operating.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Rebate Program is the primary driver of growth, awarding over $900 million for more than 2,400 buses to 389 school districts. This funding has enabled commitments in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and four tribal nations.
• California remains the leader in adoption with over 1,800 committed buses, though the geographic distribution is becoming more balanced. The South now accounts for 34% of commitments, while California's share has decreased to 39%.
• Adoption is increasingly occurring in underserved areas. The share of electric school buses in the fourth quartile of low-income school districts rose from 25% before October 2022 to 41% by December 2022. Additionally, two-thirds of electric school buses are located in districts within the highest quartile of non-white and/or Hispanic residents.
• Type C buses are the most common electric model, accounting for 53.5% of commitments, followed by Type D buses at 27.2%. The market is dominated by three major manufacturers: Blue Bird, Thomas Built Buses, and Lion Electric.
• There is a growing trend of larger commitments and repeat adoption. One-third of entities with electric school buses have committed to five or more vehicles, and 149 districts have added more than one batch of buses.

APA

Freehafer, L., & Lazer, L. (2023). The State of Electric School Bus Adoption in the US. World Resources Institute. http://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-09/state-electric-school-buses-us-april-2023.pdf

Chicago

Freehafer, Lydia, and Leah Lazer. The State of Electric School Bus Adoption in the US. World Resources Institute, 2023. http://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-09/state-electric-school-buses-us-april-2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Freehafer |first1=Lydia |last2=Lazer |first2=Leah |title=The State of Electric School Bus Adoption in the US |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=26 April 2023 |url=http://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-09/state-electric-school-buses-us-april-2023.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{freehafer2023state, author = {Freehafer, Lydia and Lazer, Leah}, title = {{The State of Electric School Bus Adoption in the US}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {http://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-09/state-electric-school-buses-us-april-2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }