Electrifying school bus fleets : Grants available to support your project
In this series of articles, we demystify the key steps of converting your school bus fleet to electric power thanks to the Transporteur+ guide. This guide aims to provide easy and direct access to resources to clarify the steps, issues, conditions and facilitating measures for a successful transition to electrification.
Did you know there are government grants that can cover almost a third of the purchase price of electric buses? Several subsidies also cover 75% of the costs of installing charging stations and the studies required to install them. In fact, the Canada Infrastructure Bank, in partnership with the Bus Carriers’ Federation (BCF), offers financing at a very low interest rate, to be paid back only if cost savings are realized through the introduction of electric buses.
Propulsion Québec developed the Transporteur+ guide to help you equip your electrification project. Remember, you are not alone: Many experts are available to advise, guide and support you, taking into account the constraints faced by individual operators. In addition, manufacturers are developing a range of technical support services for each implementation stage.
The availability of electric school buses is on the rise in North America, but only two manufacturers are currently eligible for Quebec grants.
Several manufacturers of Level 2 charging stations are available and eligible for grants.
There are now several advantageous options available to Quebec school bus operators to finance a transition to electric vehicles.
Quebec’s school transportation electrification program provides school bus operators with two types of grants, one for vehicles and the other for charging stations. For 2023-2024, the basic grant amount is $150,000 per electric school bus, and $175,000 for school buses with a battery capacity of 155 kW or higher. Also, to help accelerate the planning and implementation of charging stations, carriers can submit applications for financial assistance for charging infrastructure before ordering electric buses. Two bus manufacturers are eligible for this grant, Girardin Blue Bird and Lion Electric. The grant is paid directly to the supplier, so the school bus operator does not need to advance the total amount and only needs to pay the difference.
For charging stations, the grant is 75% of acquisition and installation costs up to a maximum of $50,000 per electric school bus. To obtain this grant, the operator must submit a report prepared by an expert in consultation with a qualified electrician and a licensed professional engineer.
Another way to finance studies, plans and specifications for integrating new technologies is the Fonds Écoleader fund. The Fonds Écoleader supports tangible measures such as preparing diagnostics and studies, developing action plans and carrying out support procedures. The Fonds Écoleader provides grants to cover 75% of the cost of studies and action plans up to $60,000.
This project was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of Quebec, the Trottier Family Foundation, the Greater Montreal Climate Fund and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ. Propulsion Québec would also like to thank The Transition Accelerator and the WSP Canada team for their critical contributions, as well as all the experts involved in the development of this guide.
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