Zero-Emission Bus Fleets Grow, But Federal Funding Is in Jeopardy

Transit agencies around the country have purchased over 7,000 zero-emission buses, but a federal program that funds the shift could be eliminated under the new administration.

1 minute read

March 17, 2025, 11:02 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Close-up of electric bus being charged with portable charger.

Maxim Chuev / Adobe Stock

U.S. transit agencies are continuing the effort to transition to zero-emission buses, with a total of 7,026 vehicles “funded, ordered, delivered or on the road as of July 2024.”

According to an article by Dan Zukowski in Smart Cities Dive, that number grew from just over 2,000 in 2019. “California and New York lead the nation in the number of zero-emission buses, followed by Florida, Washington state and Massachusetts.”

Many of the new fleets are funded through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Low or No Emission Grant Program and the Grants for Bus and Bus Facilities Program. The program could be in jeopardy after new DOT leadership rescinded Biden-era environmental considerations.

Friday, March 14, 2025 in Smart Cities Dive

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