VEIC is proud to be a partner for the states, cities and school districts who will receive funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make the transition from diesel to electric school buses (ESBs). The EPA recently announced a billion dollars in grants awarded toward putting more clean school buses on the road, the first awards from a five-year/$5B program established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding, which will support schools across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, is an important step in advancing school bus electrification. 

One critical step toward maximizing this funding is technical assistance. Technical assistance ensures electric school bus projects are successful and realize all of the health, environmental and operational benefits. It is the help needed to ensure optimal, reliable service, and long-term cost savings. 

“VEIC has a strong track record of providing school districts with technical assistance on electrification projects. We are thrilled to see this initial investment in electrification across the country and are eager to support a successful transition to ESBs.”  says Jennifer Wallace-Brodeur, Director of Consulting at VEIC. 

Why Electric School Buses?

Electric school buses offer many benefits. They are good for the environment, the community and children’s health. Electric buses offer a significant effect of reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to diesel. For school districts with tight budgets, electric school buses will reduce fuel costs and run cleaner.

How it Works

Once a fleet has made the decision to adopt ESBs, they will need support to implement the project. VEIC assists from the beginning of the process to the end:

• Up front – analyzing fleet operations (routes, hours in operation) and charging needs; assessing facility readiness to support chargers; and engaging utilities; planning and project management for facility upgrades
• During – when the vehicles are received, monitoring and troubleshooting operational issues with vendors and ensuring staff are trained to drive and maintain the buses. 
• After – Documenting the program’s success and learning for future decisions.

As the EPA’s ESB funding starts moving into school districts, it is critical to make technical assistance available. VEIC has been working on school bus electrification since 2014 and has hands-on experience supporting electric school bus projects. We have expertise in technology, relationships with ESB and charging vendors, and school fleet and grid insights to ensure EPA-funded projects are successful.