Will Canada Be Adopting More Electric School Buses?

The Canadian Electric School Bus Alliance (CESBA) (co-led by Équiterre and Green Communities Canada) has released its first study, titled Pathways for Canadian Electric School Bus Adoption, produced by Dunsky Energy+Climate.

The Government of Canada has not yet set a target specifically for zero-emission school buses or electric school buses (ESBs). While EBSs fall under the current target to achieve 35% of total medium and heavy-duty vehicle (MHDV) sales being ZEV) by 2030 and 100% by 2040, this only relates to the percentage of new sales and not the percentage of conversion.

Pursuing Low-Hanging Fruit in the Climate Crisis

In a climate emergency context, school buses represent a low-hanging fruit in the transition to zero-emission MHDVs.

Their routes are predictable and often relatively short, and they typically return to a central location between shifts where they can charge, making them ideal candidates for electrification.

Besides reducing GHG emissions, electric school buses (ESBs) present notable health benefits and can significantly reduce operating costs.

So CESBA set out to better understand the feasibility of a fully electric Canadian school bus fleet by 2040 and whether a more ambitious target is feasible by requesting this study.

CESBA would like all school buses to be electric by 2040.

What the Electric School Bus Study Tells Us

Notable points from the study include:

• Seeks to better understand the feasibility of the ACEAS target of an all-electric Canadian school bus fleet by 2040.
• Provides a snapshot of the current state of the school bus fleet in Canada.
• Determines whether a more ambitious target would be feasible.
• Lists the benefits of electrifying school buses.
• Details potential solutions.
• Makes 5 key recommendations on logistics, funding, policy regulation and education for immediate action by the federal government.