New York officially delayed its electric school bus mandate by five years in the Education, Labor and Family Assistance budget bill that passed through the legislature last week. Once signed by the governor, the deadline for districts to invest in zero-emission buses will retreat from 2027 to 2032, with fully electric fleets due in 2040 instead of 2035.
The original mandate required schools to abandon diesel vehicles to cut emissions. But schools have been sounding the alarm about the transition, warning that electric buses cost more than diesel and that batteries can’t handle long, rural routes in winter.
The New York State School Boards Association praised the delay. “By pushing the purchase deadline back to 2032 and the 100% ZEB fleet deadline back to 2040, the governor and Legislature have created a window for school districts, bus manufacturers and utility companies to continue to work on solutions to these challenges,” they said.
Public health and environmental advocates condemned the delay. “Twice a day, 180 days a year, over 2 million schoolchildren and bus drivers across New York are forced to breathe dirty diesel exhaust,” according to a joint statement from the American Lung Association and the New York League of Conservation Voters.
