Federal and state governments are practically giving away electric school buses, and if your local district doesn’t have its hand up yet, it should. The math is a no-brainer, Axios’ Joann Muller reports.
Why it matters: Exhaust from diesel buses makes kids sick and curbs cognitive development. Plus, diesel buses spew CO2 emissions.
The big picture: Electric models are a cleaner, safer alternative, and they’re cheaper to operate — it costs about 14 cents a mile for electricity compared to 49 cents per mile for diesel fuel, per Blue Bird, a leading school bus manufacturer.
The catch: An electric school bus costs $350,000 to $450,000 and most districts can’t afford the upfront expense.
But a bunch of new government incentives makes replacing aging diesel fleets an easy call.
They include a five-year, $5 billion Clean School Bus Program, approved in November 2021 as part of the infrastructure law.
