New York school district reports 51 per cent higher operating costs for electric buses versus diesel
By Eve
Alexandria Central School District in New York State found electric school buses cost $1.03 per mile to operate in 2024 to 2025, compared to $0.68 per mile for diesel, a 51 per cent increase. Two of the district's four electric buses were out of service for 58 and 65 days respectively during the school year due to brake problems, electrical connector failures and mid route shutdowns. The findings come as New York mandates all school bus sales be zero emission by 2027 and fleets 100 per cent electric by 2035, with Superintendent Robert Fountain calling for the state to reconsider the timeline given infrastructure and reliability challenges.
Why it matters: The data provides a real world cost and uptime benchmark for electric school bus procurement as US states accelerate zero emission fleet mandates. Districts and operators evaluating electric bus tenders will need to factor in higher per mile costs and potential downtime when modelling total cost of ownership against regulatory deadlines.