Blue Bird Applauds EPA’s $965 Million Clean School Bus Funding to Accelerate Adoption of Zero-Emission Student Transportation

Company Continues to Invest in Electric School Bus Manufacturing Expansion and Job Growth

Blue Bird Corporation electric and low-emission school buses, commends the announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide $965 million in additional funding for clean school buses to reduce pollution and enhance student and community health. The fourth round of funding builds on nearly $3 billion already awarded through the EPA’s landmark Clean School Bus Rebate Program. The program to date will enable approximately 1,300 school districts across the U.S. to replace old diesel buses with nearly 8,700 electric and ultra-low emission vehicles.

The EPA’s Clean School Bus Rebate Program is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The Clean School Bus Program funds zero- and low-emission buses, including electric and propane buses, which produce lower tailpipe emissions than their diesel predecessors.

“The EPA announced nearly $1 billion of funding from the fourth round of the widely popular and highly effective Clean School Bus Rebate Program,” said Phil Horlock, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corporation. “The program continues to be instrumental in accelerating the adoption of clean student transportation. The funds will enable even more school districts nationwide to acquire electric school buses to protect student health and air quality in our communities. Blue Bird’s growth plans meet the increasing demand for zero-emission school buses. As the leader in zero- and low-emission school buses, Blue Bird continues to invest in technology innovation, electric school bus manufacturing expansion, and good-paying jobs in the U.S.”

Blue Bird has over 2,000 electric, zero-emission school buses in operation today – more than any other school bus manufacturer in North America. To date, the company’s electric school buses have covered more than five million miles. Replacing 2,000 diesel-powered school buses with an equal number of zero-emission vehicles reduces harmful carbon emissions by more than 21,000 metric tons annually. In addition, nearly 150,000 students a day are no longer exposed to diesel tailpipe emissions.

Blue Bird continues to significantly expand its electric school bus production to meet the rising demand for clean student transportation nationwide. In 2023, the company opened a 40,000 square foot Electric Vehicle (EV) Build-up Center. In addition, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently selected Blue Bird to receive an $80 million grant to convert a former manufacturing site for diesel-powered motorhomes into an approximately 600,000 square foot, electric and low-emissions vehicle manufacturing facility. The grant represents 50 percent of the total $160 million investment required to complete the conversion project. The conversion will add more than 400 new, good-paying manufacturing jobs.

Blue Bird is the only U.S.-owned and operated school bus manufacturer in the United States. The company manufactures its school buses in Fort Valley, Georgia. The shift to clean student transportation helps Blue Bird sustain approximately 2,000 good-paying jobs.

 

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