Are electric buses cheaper to operate than a traditional bus?

Electric school buses are a cleaner, safer alternative, and they're cheaper to operate — it costs about 14 cents a mile for electricity compared to 49 cents per mile for diesel fuel, according to Blue Bird, a leading school bus manufacturer. They can also act as giant batteries to store surplus energy when not in use.



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Electric buses can save cities up to $170,000 per unit — here's how to vie for them in your area. Swapping one diesel bus for an electric one reduces human health costs by $150,000 per year. Standard diesel-sucking buses are actually some of the most eco-friendly ways to travel when compared to planes and cars.

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What Are The Disadvantages Of Electric School Buses? The two biggest disadvantages are cost and range. Although an electric bus is likely to save money in the long term, the initial purchase price is considerably higher.

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Those upfront costs for electric buses can be expensive. They vary by factors like size and battery type, but costs average about $400,000 per bus. That's more expensive than some diesel alternatives, but battery production costs are expected to decline as the market matures, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

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More fuel efficient: Diesel school buses can drive at 8.20 miles per gallon, whereas an electric school bus drives at 20.87 miles per diesel gallon equivalent — making them almost 60% more energy efficient.

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Thanks to their ability to cut pollutants and climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions while keeping noise levels to a minimum, electric buses improve living conditions for urban residents.

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Lower fuel and maintenance costs mean that the electric fleet can save between $4,000 and $11,000 annually per bus, as reported by CleanTechnica. Forbes puts it another way: “ … school districts are spending just 14 cents per mile on their e-buses compared to 49 cents per mile for diesel buses.”

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Those upfront costs for electric buses can be expensive. They vary by factors like size and battery type, but costs average about $400,000 per bus. That's more expensive than some diesel alternatives, but battery production costs are expected to decline as the market matures, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

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The buses cost about £400,000 to £450,000 each, about 40 per cent more than a conventional diesel or hybrid double decker.

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Pros of the Electric Bus
  • They're better for the environment. ...
  • It's cheaper to run and maintain an electric bus. ...
  • Electric buses are more convenient. ...
  • They have a higher upfront cost. ...
  • Electric buses have a limited range.


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Since they do not use gasoline or diesel, BEBs do not produce tailpipe pollution. Thus, BEBs offer a better option than other bus technologies for reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, as well as other harmful pollutants in urban areas.

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Diesel school buses are already the most fuel-efficient in the industry, due to a higher BTU count compared to other fuels, providing better fuel economy and a longer operating range compared to similar-sized gasoline, propane or compressed natural gas (CNG) engines.

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Blue Bird's electric school buses can travel up to 120 miles on a single charge. With intentional planning, drivers should never have to worry about being stranded due to a drained battery. Since electric buses can now travel farther than ever before, they are a practical option to consider.

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Expanding Bus Ranges and Declining Battery Prices Are Making Electric Buses Mainstream Electric buses today can travel anywhere between 150 miles on the lower end to 275 – 300 miles on a single charge.

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As the charge points have a maximum power capacity of 100 kW, most vehicles are fully charged after 4 hours.

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Additionally, commitments from California and major transit hubs, including New York City and Seattle, to go 100 percent electric with their bus fleets have led to estimates that electric buses will make up one-third of the national fleet by 2045.

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TfL, however, estimates that a standard hybrid diesel-electric double-deck bus is in the region of £300,000. The latest New Routemaster with Euro VI engine costs £349,500.

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