In January 2025, as part of her first State of the Province address, Premier Susan Holt committed to electrifying 100% of the school bus fleet by 2035. She declared that this is a value of New Brunswick, which is supported by public opinion.
83% of Atlantic Canadians support accelerating the transition to a fully electric school bus fleet by 2040*, recognizing the urgent need for climate action. With transportation being one of the largest sources of emissions in Canada, the electrification of school buses represents a tangible way to make progress.
*2023 poll from Abacus Data
The range of ESBs is smaller than gas or diesel buses and is more variable with cold temperatures. Even still, the recent ESB Feasibility Report completed in Atlantic Canada indicates that with current ESB ranges, 79% NB bus routes could be electrified. School buses are typically on the road for less than 200km each day, and the popular ESBs today have ranges from 217km to 320km. Many ESBs have propane heaters, which help the buses preserve their battery power for driving in the winter.
New charging infrastructure needs to be purchased and installed in order for these buses to be routinely charged for their routes. The level 2 chargers that would be ideal for overnight charging at a bus depot or bus drivers’ homes are very reliable.
The cost of an electric transition includes the cost of chargers as well as the vehicles themselves. ESBs can be more than twice as expensive as diesel buses that are on the road today. The existing subsidies from the federal government can cover most of that cost, but the funds are limited. Unfortunately, at this point in production, subsidies are necessary for the full transition to take place in the next decade. Because the Province has expressed their commitment to electrifying the school bus fleet by 2035, we hope their future budgets will reflect that commitment. ESBs are still a new technology, becoming more efficient and more affordable all the time.
In 2023, 141 buses, (20%) of the buses in New Brunswick were 12 years or older, making our maintenance costs disproportionately high. Buses are typically retired after 12 years on the road; other provinces have very few or no buses over that age on their routes. Those vehicles should be replaced by electric school buses as soon as possible, and their saved maintenance costs would go towards the greater cost of the ESBs.
Right now, New Brunswick has 22 ESBs on the road, of our 1,108 vehicle fleet. To electrify by 2035, we need to order as many as 100 ESBs every year. Join us by encouraging the Vehicle Management Agency at DTI to follow through with their commitment to electrify the school bus fleet by 2035 and act according to the 2025 Electric School Bus Feasibility Study commissioned by the Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training.
Learn More from NB Lung’s report through Drive Electric Atlantic: Driving Towards a Healthier Future
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