Every day, millions of children ride to school in diesel buses that expose them to pollution linked to serious health issues. Replacing those buses with electric models has benefits that go far beyond a quieter ride and cleaner air.Electric school buses can also save school districts and communities money, freeing up resources that can be reinvested back into the classroom. And, because electric school buses don’t burn fossil fuels or emit dangerous greenhouse gases that trap heat in our atmosphere, they’re much better for the climate, too.Replacing old, diesel buses with electric alternatives can also bring manufacturing jobs to communities and cut down on electricity prices for consumers, while also supplying life-saving electricity during emergencies. They also bring benefits to underserved communities that have long borne the brunt of air pollution. Switching from diesel to electric school buses don’t just benefit the health of students riding the bus, but also drivers and anyone nearby. Photo by flySnow/iStock. Better Health — And a Better Learning EnvironmentMost school buses in the U.S. today are diesel-burning. If you’ve ever waited in a bus line or stood next to an idling yellow school bus, you’ve probably noticed the smelly black fumes wafting out of the back of the vehicle’s tailpipe — that’s diesel exhaust pollution, which can cause asthma, cancer and respiratory issues. It’s especially bad for kids, given their developing lungs.This exhaust is so bad for health that it’s been labeled a known carcinogen by the World Health Organization and recognized for its potential to cause cancer. Other carcinogens on that list include asbestos and tobacco. High levels of outdoor air pollution, like from vehicles or power plants, have been found to have similar impacts on students’ lung function as exposure to maternal smoking.Some people have reported headaches from inhaling these fumes after just a brief period, but the exhaust can also have longer, serious impacts on a child’s development. Traffic related air pollution has been linked to short-term fluctuations in attention span in elementary students. Studies show that reducing exposure to air pollution from school buses has positive effects on students’ test scores that could be equivalent to the benefits of smaller class sizes and increased teacher experience levels.Diesel exhaust pollution can also cause asthma, which is one of the leading causes of absenteeism. Missing school can impact academic achievement, graduation and even job opportunities later in life. One study from the University of Michigan found that replacing all of the oldest school buses in the U.S. could lead to 1.3 million fewer daily absences annually.Diesel-burning buses also make a lot of noise. They’re so noisy that the levels are typically at or above 85 decibels, which is already above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organization recommended noise exposure limits of 80 decibels. Electric buses are on average 20 decibels quieter than diesel-burning buses.Too much noise pollution has been found to harm children’s performance in verbal tasks and attention. One school district in West Virginia even found that there were fewer behavior disruptions on their electric school buses, and there was an overall positive shift in student behavior. Other districts observed that the lack of vibrations also benefited students with disabilities and those who have difficulties with processing sensory information, thanks to the reduced noise and sensations of the electric school bus.Cost Savings for Schools and TaxpayersSwitching to electric school buses brings more than health benefits. It can save schools and communities money that could instead be used for student resources, teacher salaries and more.Electric school buses have lower maintenance and fuel costs over time, so school districts spend less once the buses start operating. When combined with state or federal funding or innovative financing solutions to help cover upfront purchase costs, this means the total cost of ownership for an electric school bus can be hundreds of thousands of dollars less than a diesel-burning school bus.Our research suggests that compared to a new diesel-burning school bus, a new electric school bus can save school districts on average $7,000 on operating costs each year.That savings can be immediate. After the Cherokee Boys Club of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Cherokee, N.C., switched to electric school buses, they saved hundreds of dollars in fuel costs during the first month, and have saved similarly each month since then.Already, schools are putting these savings to good use.Three Rivers Community Schools in Three Rivers, Mich., saved around $90,000 in fuel, maintenance and repair costs between the reopening of schools after the COVID-19 pandemic and August 2023. This money was returned to the school district’s general fund and then used for instructional materials for students.Fleming County Schools in rural Kentucky found that switching to electric school buses reduced energy costs by about 80% — from roughly 60 cents per mile for diesel to 12 cents per mile for electricity. The district initially projected monthly savings of $12,000 a month as of early 2025, with that figure expected to rise to $17,000 as the district adds more electric buses. Those savings are being reinvested in the classroom and funding a district-wide increase in teacher pay. Electric school bus chargers in Fleming County, Kentucky. The school district has found significant cost savings by switching from diesel to electric school buses. Image by Electric School Bus Initiative/WRI. Climate Benefits for Future GenerationsPeople all over the world are dealing with more severe and more common natural disasters as a result of climate change, which is caused by greenhouse gas emissions, like the exhaust from diesel-burning school buses.Electric school buses produce less than half of the greenhouse gas emissions of diesel- and propane-burning school buses, even when accounting for the production of the electricity used to charge the bus. That number is expected to continue to drop as more renewable energy, like wind and solar energy, become part of the grid. In fact, in regions of the U.S. with electric grids that are powered by lower-emissions energy sources, electric school buses account for as little as a quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions burned by diesel-burning school buses. In 2022, the transportation sector accounted for the highest percentage of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. (28%). To stop the most devastating impacts of climate change and keep the planet healthy for today’s students and future generations, the U.S. needs to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible. Switching from fossil fuel-burning vehicles to electric transportation — including medium- and heavy-duty vehicles like school buses — can make an impactful difference.The benefits of cutting emissions will be especially felt in low-income communities and communities of color that are disproportionately impacted by the worsening effects of climate change, like more extreme weather.More Manufacturing Jobs Throughout the U.S.Bringing these health, cost and climate benefits to communities nationwide also represents a major opportunity for a manufacturing renaissance across the country.Already, school bus manufacturers are investing in electric school bus facilities needed to power this transition — and the jobs that come with them.As of 2026, there are at least 21 manufacturing facilities of American-owned companies in 14 states making parts involved in the production of electric school buses. This is particularly impactful economically in California, Georgia, Michigan, Indiana, North Carolina and Oklahoma, where major facilities are located. The industry continues to grow, with major electric school bus manufacturers announcing plans for hundreds of new manufacturing jobs combined in the coming years.And that’s just the companies that employ workers directly involved in producing electric school buses.Electric school bus manufacturing also supports thousands of jobs in related industries. Each of the manufacturers and suppliers has a ripple effect, creating even more jobs from local third-party businesses including fabricators, wiring assemblers, bus seat producers and more. Jobs throughout the electric school bus supply chain support local economies and offer opportunities for workers to earn a good living.Electrifying the transport sector overall is a huge opportunity for job creation in the U.S. One 2021 report projected that 10.7 million job-years could be created from the U.S. investing in electric vehicles, charging, supply chain, research and development, and workforce. Electric school buses can bring more manufacturing jobs to communities. Image by Electric School Bus Initiative/WRI. Building More Resilient Electric GridsElectric vehicles like electric school buses can also drive down electricity costs for consumers by better utilizing the existing grid and spreading costs across more electric customers, without the need for significant grid investment.Electric school buses, which have flexible, off-peak charging times, are particularly primed to drive down energy rates because they can charge overnight, when there’s less demand on the grid, or during midday, when solar power helps create excess supply. Managed charging also helps make electric school bus charging even more efficient; this, as well as charging flexibility, sets the buses apart from other additions to the grid like data centers, which often need power during times of high demand. Research has found that between 2013 and 2024, electric vehicles as a whole have contributed $3.12 billion in net revenue to utilities, which in turn can deliver lower rates for all customers.Electric school buses can also become a source of electricity to help power communities during extreme weather or other emergencies.Using vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, electric school buses can serve as ‘mobile batteries.’ For example, electric school buses that are set up for V2X use can provide emergency electric power to a school gymnasium that’s serving as a hurricane shelter.These grid resiliency efforts are already underway.Knox County in Illinois established a first-of-its-kind mutual aid agreement between a county government, a local public school system and a school bus contractor that makes the county’s electric school buses available to use as backup power in case of emergency. If there’s a grid outage due to natural disasters like tornadoes or extreme heat waves, the county can use the buses to provide backup power for vital community needs, including medical support.Taking advantage of the energy-supplying potential of electric school buses is especially impactful for underserved communities who may not have access to a resilient electric grid or who lack adequate resources to respond to extreme weather.But it doesn’t take a disaster for electric school buses to provide benefits to the electric grid. Using V2X technology can help improve grid flexibility and resiliency, present opportunities for compensation for grid services and enable the most efficient use of renewable energy. Having the electric school bus batteries available as offsite storage makes the grid stronger. Vehicle-to-everything technology allows for electric school bus batteries to be used as a power supply in the case of emergencies. Image by TW Farlow Media/Shutterstock. Benefits for Those Most Harmed by DieselElectric school buses provide benefits no matter where they’re located because diesel exhaust pollution is bad for everyone. But some people and communities are more exposed to poor air quality and are more at risk of the dangers of air pollution. That’s why the electric school bus transition offers an opportunity to reduce harmful pollution in the areas that need it most and to begin to address some historic wrongs.Throughout the 20th century and into today, discriminatory practices in housing and transit development led to more pollution sources, like highways, being built closer to Black and Brown communities. Those decisions are having real impacts on the people who live in these locations.Nationally, people of color are exposed to more diesel exhaust pollution and fine particulate air pollution — a type of pollution that’s too small to see in the air and has negative health effects like respiratory issues and asthma. These communities are experiencing more air pollution than they are creating.One study in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic found that communities of color face on-road fine particulate matter air pollution between 61% and 75% higher than white residents. Race and ethnicity are more significant factors in exposure to air pollution than income level in the U.S.Asthma is one of the major concerns of diesel-burning school buses, and Black children, Hispanic children, Native American children and children from some Asian American communities are all more likely to suffer from asthma than their white counterparts.Electric school buses offer an immediate way to start reducing the air pollution exposure of those who have been most harmed by diesel exhaust pollution.For the transition to electric school buses to be equitable, it must intentionally benefit those most harmed by vehicle pollution. An equitable transition to electric school buses can involve prioritizing the most impacted populations for funding and ensuring communities are empowered to make decisions throughout the process.At the local level, it can mean that school districts choose to put their first electric school buses on routes with the worst air quality, to immediately reduce pollution in those areas. It can also mean ensuring that workers from historically disadvantaged communities are recruited and trained for well-compensated electric school bus jobs with adequate benefits, protections and accessible working conditions.As the transition to electric school buses accelerates, there are opportunities throughout to center equity and build a healthier future for everyone.