Proterra Inc. via Wikimedia Commons

Electric Buses In America

Lessons from Cities Pioneering Clean Transportation

America’s bus network plays a crucial role in the lives of millions of people, providing transport for those who cannot or do not wish to drive, and carrying up to half of all American children to and from school every day. The majority of America’s buses, however, are still powered by polluting fossil fuels such as diesel that pose a serious risk to public health and contribute to global warming.

Although diesel exhaust poses significant risks to our health and the planet, diesel remains the main fuel used to power America’s buses, fueling around half of the country’s nearly 70,000 transit buses and 95 percent of its school buses.
Q98.5 Rockford, via YouTube
Electric buses: Lessons from cities pioneering clean transportation

Battery-powered electric buses can reduce the environmental and health threats posed by diesel buses, while also providing a reliable and cost-effective option for cities and school districts. Advances in electric bus technology and a rapid decline in battery costs over recent years have made electric buses an increasingly viable option for many transit agencies and school districts.

However, electric buses are still an emerging technology. Transit agencies and school districts considering electric buses need to know what to expect — and, more importantly, how to get the greatest benefit from their investment.

The experiences of six early adopters of electric buses illustrate the challenges that agencies have faced, as well as the benefits many have received, from their electric bus pilots. To speed up the rollout of electric buses and ensure that cities see the benefits of these vehicles, state and city officials should commit to a transition to electric buses on a specific timeline and create favorable utility rate structures for transit agencies that include reduced off-peak energy rates and limited demand charges.

Electric buses deliver numerous benefits to the communities they serve





While electric buses have often performed well in early pilots and been cheaper to fuel and maintain than their diesel counterparts, some early adopters have also experienced a set of technological and economic hurdles that future electric bus programs will need to overcome.

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Due to a string of mechanical problems and inadequate infrastructure planning, as well as a rocky relationship with the bus manufacturer, Albuquerque experienced one of the least successful electric bus rollouts in the nation. The city’s experience provides valuable lessons learned, which Albuquerque will put to use soon. In August 2019, the city announced its intention to relaunch its electric bus efforts.

Mixed results from the piloting of electric school buses in three cold-weather Massachusetts cities provide valuable lessons for school districts hoping to follow in their footsteps.

Recommendations: Elected officials and utilities



3. Utilities should implement financing programs in which they front the initial investment for electric buses and allow cities and school districts to pay back on utility bills as they save on fuel and maintenance costs. These “pay as you save” (PAYS) financing programs can help agencies overcome the higher upfront costs of electric buses and deliver monetary savings immediately.


Recommendations: Transit agencies and school districts




4. Before going to bid, shadow existing diesel buses with electric vehicles from different vendors and ensure that the bid includes the needs identified in the route study.


