New York State Delays Electric School Bus Mandate, Extending Deadlines for Transition
New York State has revised its timeline for transitioning to electric school buses, extending the procurement mandate from 2027 to 2032 and the deadline for fully electrifying school bus fleets from 2035 to 2040. This decision, made under Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, comes in response to concerns from school districts about the high costs and operational challenges associated with the switch to battery-electric buses. The original timeline, adopted in 2022, aimed to phase out diesel and petrol school buses to improve health and safety for the 1.5 million students using school buses daily. The Environmental Bond Act, also passed in 2022, allocated $500 million to support this transition.