Where Electric School Buses Are Being Used in the US

As of June 2024, the U.S. has 12,164 committed electric school buses, with 67% funded by the EPA's Clean School Bus Program. Adoption is widespread across 49 states, with California leading in total numbers, while the Southeast has seen significant recent growth. The report finds that deployment is increasingly equitable, with a majority of buses now located in high-poverty districts and areas with high air pollution, though adult asthma rates show a more even distribution.

• As of June 2024, there are 12,164 committed electric school buses in the U.S., serving approximately 200,000 students. A 'committed' bus is defined as one where a fleet operator or district has a formal purchase agreement or has been awarded funding.
• The EPA's Clean School Bus Program is the primary driver of adoption, funding 67% of all committed electric school buses. This includes three rounds of funding: the first in 2022 for nearly 2,300 buses, a second in January 2024 for approximately 2,700 buses, and a third selecting nearly 500 districts for 3,177 buses.
• Electric school bus commitments exist in 49 states, Washington, D.C., and several U.S. territories and tribal nations. California leads with over 2,300 committed buses, followed by Illinois (418), New York (406), and Maryland (386).
• The Southeast region has experienced significant growth, now totaling around 1,400 committed buses. High adoption rates in states like Louisiana (100%), Georgia (99%), and Texas (94%) are almost entirely attributed to EPA Clean School Bus Program funding.
• Deployment has become more equitable over time; as of December 2023, 66% of committed electric school buses are in districts with the highest shares of low-income households, and 89% are in districts with the highest percentages of people of color.
• Electric school buses are increasingly concentrated in areas with poor air quality. Over two-thirds of committed buses are in districts with the highest concentrations of PM2.5, and nearly three-quarters are in districts with the highest ozone pollution.
• Seven states—California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New York, and Washington—have enacted statutory requirements to transition to zero-emission school buses. Washington's March 2024 target requires 100% of new purchases to be zero-emission once total cost of ownership is equal to diesel.

APA

Freehafer, L., Lazer, L., & Zepka, B. (2024). Where Electric School Buses Are Being Used in the US. World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-11/state-electric-school-buses-us-july-2024.pdf

Chicago

Freehafer, Lydia, Leah Lazer, and Brian Zepka. Where Electric School Buses Are Being Used in the US. World Resources Institute, 2024. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-11/state-electric-school-buses-us-july-2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Freehafer |first1=Lydia |last2=Lazer |first2=Leah |last3=Zepka |first3=Brian |title=Where Electric School Buses Are Being Used in the US |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=1 July 2024 |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-11/state-electric-school-buses-us-july-2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{freehafer2024where, author = {Freehafer, Lydia and Lazer, Leah and Zepka, Brian}, title = {{Where Electric School Buses Are Being Used in the US}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2024}, month = jul, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-11/state-electric-school-buses-us-july-2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }