School Transportation News Magazine | Buyer’s Guide 2023


DATA, STATISTICS AND TRENDS


the Inflation Reduction Act and pledges by the Fed that inflation will fall to 2.8 percent by the end of 2023. Supply chain constraints also show signs of loosening, also necessary to truly get school bus production back to where it should be, minus any real or imagined recession on the horizon. Still, the cost of manufacturing continues to


remain too high amid record energy costs and a strong dollar, according to the JPMorgan Global Manufacturing PMI survey compiled by S&P Global last fall. Shipping costs represented the major spike in costs throughout 2021, and though they reduced last year they remain at the highest levels since 2008. Energy, meanwhile, is the most expensive it has been since data tabulation started in 2005. The bottom line is this: At a time that school


32,873


School Buses Manufactured (Nov. 1, 2021 – Oct. 31, 2022)


districts have money to spend to replace aging fleets, buoyed by high property and sales tax revenues of the past several years as well as local bond measures and both federal and state grant money, they aren’t receiving the buses in a timely fashion. This amid the first round of awards from the Clean School Bus Program going out and details on round two expected this spring. What this all points to is continued pressure on


vehicle manufacturing, which impacts the ability of school districts and bus companies to receive timely delivery. As a result, school districts are preparing to keep existing fleet vehicles longer—also vans, SUVs and work trucks—and performing the necessary preventive and predictive maintenance to make that happen. ●


4.4%


Increase in School Bus Production (Compared to 2020 – 2021)


SCHOOL BUS PRODUCTION BY FUEL/ENERGY TYPE Diesel ...............................................................................................................................................19,567 Gasoline ..........................................................................................................................................10,321 Propane ............................................................................................................................................ 1,739 Electric ................................................................................................................................................1,181 CNG .........................................................................................................................................................121 *Figures are based on OEM reporting


OEMs Surveyed Blue Bird BYD North America Collins Bus Ford Commercial Vehicles General Motors Green Power Motor Company IC Bus


*


*Will not report production numbers until 2024. **Did not respond.


12


The Lion Electric Company Micro Bird Pegasus Titan Bus Thomas Built Buses Trans Tech Van-Con, Inc.


**


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