Powering Up: The Path to Electric School Bus Adoption in Canada

Electrification of Canadian school buses is progressing, but at a much slower pace than needed. About 70% of the 50,000 school buses run on diesel, while there are only 1,930 electric school buses, comprising less than 4% of the fleet.
This growth falls far short of the nearly 2,900 annual electric bus additions that are needed to reach a fully electric fleet by 2040 and to align with Canada's net-zero objectives.

Yet the benefits are numerous for society as a whole: switching entirely to electric school buses could reduce GHGs by at least 1.17 million tonnes a year, and save over C$601 million in health costs over 12 years, the average life of a school bus.

Electrifying school buses helps mitigate health risks by reducing diesel-related air pollutants. It also reduces noise pollution and improves students' mental health by combating climate change.

Despite the proactive efforts of various players, the electrification of school bus fleets continues to encounter numerous challenges and obstacles, including financial and logistical issues.

While some regions have taken steps towards electrification targets and funding, CESBA urges the acceleration of school bus fleet electrification, offering key recommendations:

Read to :

• learn about the social and environmental benefits of ESBs;
• understand the obstacles to the transition to ESBs;
• understand why Canada so strongly supports the transition to ESBs;
• understand how the transition to ESBs is progressing in Canada;
• learn about CESBA recommendations to accelerate their adoption.