Electric school buses gain traction, but cost, charging remain key hurdles

Electrifying India’s school buses could reduce children’s exposure to road-transport emissions, but high upfront costs, inadequate charging infrastructure and financing constraints remain major barriers to wider adoption, industry and policy experts said at the India Clean Transportation Summit (ICTS) 2026 on Wednesday

Electrifying India’s school buses could reduce children’s exposure to road-transport emissions, but high upfront costs, inadequate charging infrastructure and financing constraints remain major barriers to wider adoption, industry and policy experts said at the India Clean Transportation Summit (ICTS) 2026 on Wednesday.

Photo for representation (REUTERS)

During a session titled “Generation E: Electrifying India’s School Bus Fleet”, operators said the economics of switching to electric buses remained a concern, while manufacturers and experts called for purpose-built vehicles and financing models tailored to the school-transport sector.

“School transport is fundamentally a social service focused on safely transporting children; electrification adds environmental benefits, but cost remains a major barrier,” said Gurmit Singh Taneja, joint secretary, Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI). He also flagged inadequate charging infrastructure, charging time, limited OEM workshop facilities and the need to update motor-vehicle regulations for electric buses.

CK Goyal, chief operating officer (SPV Operations) at PMI Electro Mobility Solutions, said manufacturing capacity was increasingly available, but cost remained the biggest hurdle. “Schools are reluctant to pay a significant premium simply to transition to electric,” he said, adding that the market lacked sufficient cost-optimised electric school-bus models.

“DTC has proposed that it will allow charging of private buses at its depots at a small cost. This is a good opportunity wherein after the morning school drops, buses can easily park and charge at the nearest DTC depot and be back at the school by afternoon,” said Goyal.

Vinoth Kumar R, head of planning and strategy at Switch Mobility, said adapting e-buses for school operations could result in oversized batteries and higher costs.

Dr Laghu Parashar, senior transport specialist at the World Bank, said school buses were suited to electrification because their daily utilisation was relatively low, with many operating around 50-60 km, while long idle periods could provide time for charging. Schools also often have access to land that could potentially be used for charging infrastructure.

For private operators, however, total cost of ownership alone may not determine adoption, Parashar said. “What matters is whether monthly cash flows work from the beginning,” he said, suggesting longer loan tenures, lower equity requirements, leasing models and risk-mitigation mechanisms.

The discussion also linked school-bus electrification with the wider issue of children’s exposure to air pollution. They called for better emissions data, low-emission zones and evidence-based interventions, including measures focused specifically around schools.

Delhi’s Electric Vehicles (EV) Policy 2026 has already set a phased electrification mandate for school buses. Schools must ensure that at least 10% of their total school-bus fleet is electric within two years of the policy’s notification, rising to 20% within three years and 30% by March 31, 2030. The mandate applies to buses owned, leased or hired by schools, with the education department responsible for ensuring compliance.