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Is Electrification Here to Stay? Written by Sumanth Balesh, Director of Product Certification and Compliance, Blue Bird Corporation
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s the world moves towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and curbing air pollution, government regulations have increasingly become the driving force
behind the electrification of school buses in the Unit- ed States. With a strong focus on improving air quality and reducing the carbon footprint of transportation, key regulations such as the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulations and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Phase 3 regulations are paving the way for more electrification of school buses. School buses are a vital part of the U.S. transporta-
tion system, carrying over 25 million children daily on more than 480,000 buses. While traditionally powered by diesel, the introduction of propane engines by Blue Bird has expanded low-emission powertrain options for the school bus industry. Let us go through some of the current and upcoming regulations, how they impact internal combustion engine sales and understand why electrification is here to stay.
CARB’s Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Regulations The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has long
been at the forefront of environmental regulations in the United States. In 2020, CARB introduced the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulation, a ground- breaking mandate aimed at accelerating the adoption
of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the medium- and heavy-duty truck sectors, including school buses. The ACT regulation requires school bus manufactur- ers to begin increasing the percentage of zero-emission trucks in their sales mix, starting with the 2024 model year. By 2035, 75% of all Class 4-8 new sales of these vehicles in California must be zero-emission. This regulation has a direct impact on the school bus market, pushing manufacturers to develop and produce electric school buses and encouraging school districts to adopt clean student transportation. Manufacturers must strictly adhere to ACT sales
requirements. Each year, Original Equipment Manu- facturers (OEMs) face the challenge of balancing ACT Credits across all CARB ACT-regulated states to maintain a credit-positive or neutral position.
Due to these stringent regulations, School Bus OEMs have limited options, including: •
Increasing Electric School Bus sales
• Purchasing credits • Reducing Internal Combustion engine school bus sales
EPA’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Phase 3 Regulations The GHG Phase 3 regulations, which are being phased
in over the next decade, set ambitious targets for re- ducing CO2 emissions from new heavy-duty vehicles.
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