Montréal, June 12, 2025- Propulsion Québec, the electric and intelligent transportation cluster, expresses its concern following the publication of the Draft Regulation to amend the Electricity Act.Regulation respecting road vehicles used to transport studentswhich puts an end to the obligation to use electric school buses. This decision could represent a step backwards in the transportation sector's energy transition. A temporary suspension should be preferred in view of the current challenges.
School transport is one of the most promising segments for electrification
Its short, regular and predictable routes provide a favorable operational and technical context for the integration of electric vehicles. These vehicles help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality in the vicinity of schools, with direct benefits for students' health. Studies have also shown that the electrification of school buses generates tangible health and climate benefits, including fewer cases of respiratory illness in children and savings linked to thereducing air pollution.
"Since 2021, Quebec has been a North American leader in electric school transportation. The government's financial support has enabled us to make remarkable progress. Thanks to these efforts, school transportation is now the most electrified segment of the transportation sector. We applaud the efforts of carriers, the industry and the government in this area," says Michelle LLambías Meunier, CEO of Propulsion Québec.
Enhanced financial assistance welcomed
Despite this regulatory change, we would like to reiterate that the recent enhancement of the acquisition assistance program, increasing support to $240,000 per bus, is a welcome measure to support carriers in their transition. However, challenges remain, and a long-term strategy, framed by clear, ambitious and pragmatic targets, remains essential to consolidate environmental, economic and social gains.
Quebec must continue to provide enhanced, long-term assistance for school transportation, as well as support for recharging infrastructure and vehicle maintenance. This is essential to ensure the success of this transition. Manufacturers can also meet the demand. Companies are fully committed to this transformation, investing in manufacturing, innovation and infrastructure. Stable public policies are essential to support these efforts and maintain Quebec's leadership.
In the current context of limited supply, it is becoming necessary to open eligibility for the program to other manufacturers in order to broaden supply, promote healthy competition and strengthen the supply chain. A bonus could be offered for buses assembled in Canada.
Finally, Propulsion Québec calls on the government to closely monitor the effects of this decision on the adoption of electric buses, and to re-evaluate, in consultation with stakeholders, the parameters of the program to ensure an equitable, coherent and beneficial transition for all of Quebec society and, above all, schoolchildren.
About Propulsion Québec
Quebec's Electric and Intelligent Transportation Industry Cluster is a non-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate the growth of Quebec's zero-emission ground transportation industry and strengthen its international competitiveness. It was created in 2017 and today has over 215 member organizations from the TEI ecosystem that it represents and mobilizes around initiatives. Propulsion Québec is currently focusing its initiatives around three sectors: zero-emission vehicles, charging and batteries. The cluster is financially supported by the Government of Quebec, the Government of Canada, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), Fasken and Hydro-Québec, and the Fonds FTQ.
