The path towards school bus electrification and a cleaner ride to school just got a little easier to navigate with the announcement of two rebate programs aimed at helping schools replace their old, dirty, diesel buses with new, cleaner options. The EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality is now accepting applications nationwide under the 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) Electric School Bus Rebate program and the long-standing Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) School Bus Rebate Program which just announced a new round of funding for 2021.
The $7 million 2021 ARP program is the newest rebate program and is targeted towards underserved public school districts, tribal schools and those fleets serving those schools. The program offers $300k per electric bus (up to four replacement electric buses) through a lottery system.
In addition, a new round of funding ($10 million) is available through DERA, through the act’s established School Bus Rebate Program, which offers funding to replace old diesel buses with new electric, CNG, propane, or other EPA certified emission standard buses. Rebate amounts vary from $20-$65k per bus (up to 10 buses and a maximum amount of 300k) depending on the fuel selected. Rebates are available to both public and private fleet operators through a lottery system.
Want to learn more? Don’t miss the upcoming webinar which will cover an overview of these two programs and an opportunity to get your questions answered.
Wednesday, October 6, 2021 Click here to join the Microsoft Teams meeting
You can also visit the following website to learn more about eligibility, FAQs, deadlines and applications for both of these rebate programs: 2021 US EPA School Bus Rebates.
Another great resource is Virginia Clean Cities! We help support school districts interested in transitioning to electric or alternative fuel buses by providing technology and brand neutral information and running vehicle comparisons to help school districts determine which buses are right for them. If you are interested in more information or application assistance please reach out to VCC’s Alleyn Harned today.
We also have an exciting opportunity for school districts to experience these vehicles first-hand through our Mid Atlantic Electric School Bus Experience Program.
With over 25 million U.S. children relying on school bus transportation to get to school, these rebates help pave the way towards achieving cleaner air and lowering harmful diesel bus emissions.