ALBANY, N.Y. — School districts across New York are preparing for a major change as a new mandate will require all buses purchased starting in 2027 to be electric.
During a transportation hearing in Albany, the head of the New York City Mass Transit Authority shared concerns about the performance of electric buses.
Janno Lieber, chairman and CEO of the NYC MTA, said, “Here’s a cautionary note, which is that the electric buses about 60 altogether that we’ve received so far, have been underperforming in terms of their breakdown frequency.”
Lieber said, “We are buying some more low-emissions alternative technologies while the electric bus industry starts to get itself under control because they are not functioning well.”
The Whitesboro School District plans to file for a two-year extension this month.
The extension would give them more time before they must purchase only electric buses, but it would also shorten the timeline to convert their entire fleet to electric by 2035.