An electric bus is a bus that moves using electric motors instead of a traditional gasoline engine. These buses can store electrical energy on the bus itself or receive electricity continuously from an outside source, such as overhead wires. Most electric buses that use stored energy are battery electric buses, which get power from batteries on the bus. Other types, like the gyrobus, use different methods to store energy, such as spinning wheels. When electricity is not stored on the bus, it is received from outside sources, such as poles that touch overhead wires (like in trolleybuses), ground-level power supplies, or through wireless charging.

As of 2017, 99% of all battery electric buses worldwide were in Mainland China, with over 421,000 buses in use. This number made up 17% of China’s total bus fleet. In comparison, the United States had 300 electric buses, and Europe had 2,250. By 2021, 98% of global battery electric buses were still in China, while Europe had 8,500 electric buses. The largest electric bus fleet in Europe was in Moscow.

History

• Kühlstein Battery-powered bus, 1899
• Electric Auto Buses on the Plaza of St. Louis at the 1904 World's Fair
• Edison electric bus, 1915
• Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Neoplan USA trolleybus in Greater Boston, 2004
• Bee Network-branded Metroline Manchester Volvo BZL battery electric bus in Stockport, 2025

Principles

Battery electric buses are a popular type of electric bus today. These buses store electricity in batteries located on the bus itself. As of 2024, battery electric buses can travel more than 350 kilometers on a single charge. However, extreme temperatures, hills, driving habits, and heavy loads can reduce the distance they can travel.

City driving often involves many stops and starts. Because of this, battery electric buses are better than diesel buses because they can reuse much of the energy from braking to recharge their batteries. This helps reduce wear on brakes. Using electric power instead of diesel also makes cities quieter and cleaner.

When buses operate in cities, it is important to keep their weight as low as possible. This can be done by using aluminum for the main parts of the bus. Other lightweight materials, like composite panels, can also be used. A bus made mostly of aluminum, like those made by the Finnish company Linkker, weighs about 3,000 kilograms less than a similar steel bus, which weighs about 9,500 kilograms. Reducing weight allows buses to carry more passengers and cargo and reduces wear on parts like brakes and tires, which saves money for the bus company.

Most city electric buses are charged while they are in use. They can be charged quickly, taking 6 to 8 minutes for every hour of driving, using 450 kW charging stations. Charging can also happen at bus stops with overhead chargers that follow the SAE J3105 standard, or at the end of a route at terminals. Slower charging, between 50 kW and 175 kW, is done overnight at plug-in stations. Sometimes wireless charging pads are used, but plug-in stations are more common because they charge faster and are more efficient.

In Korea, a project called the Online Electric Vehicle tested wireless charging pads at bus stops and traffic lights. However, this technology has not been successfully used in commercial settings, leading to debates about continuing public funding for it in 2019.

Sweden studied electric road systems that allow buses to charge while driving on roads. Four technologies were tested: overhead wires, in-road rail, on-road rail, and in-road inductive charging. A report from December 2024 said that building a national electric road network in Sweden would not be cost-effective, so the project was paused. France will study electric road systems from 2023 to 2027 using technologies from companies like Alstom, Electreon, and Elonroad.

In the United States, the first solar-powered microgrid for charging electric buses is being built in Montgomery County, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in fall 2022.

Some buses use capacitors instead of batteries to store energy. Ultracapacitors hold only about 5% of the energy that lithium-ion batteries can hold for the same weight, which limits their range. However, ultracapacitors can charge and discharge energy much faster than regular batteries. In vehicles that stop and start often, like buses, ultracapacitors can be a good solution.

China is testing a new type of electric bus called a "capabus." This bus uses large on-board capacitors to store energy and is recharged quickly whenever it stops at a bus stop under special charging structures called "electric umbrellas." The bus is fully charged at the end of its route. In 2005, prototypes of these buses were tested in Shanghai. By 2006, two bus routes in Shanghai began using electric buses powered by capacitors. In 2009, a company called Sinautec and its partner in China started testing 17 ultracapacitor buses in Shanghai. These buses have operated without major problems since 2006. More than 60 of these buses will be delivered soon, each with ultracapacitors that provide 10 watt-hours of energy per kilogram.

These buses travel on predictable routes and stop every 5 kilometers, which allows for quick recharging at stops. At these stops, a device on the top of the bus connects to an overhead line, and the capacitors under the seats are fully charged in a few minutes. The buses can also capture energy from braking. Some recharging stations may also use solar panels. A newer version of these buses can travel about 32 kilometers on a single charge. A test bus was delivered to Bulgaria in 2014 and covered 23 kilometers with two charges.

Sinautec estimates that its buses cost about one-tenth as much in energy as diesel buses and can save about $200,000 in fuel costs over their lifetime. These buses also use 40% less electricity than electric trolleybuses because they are lighter and have regenerative braking. Ultracapacitors are made of activated carbon and have an energy density of six watt-hours per kilogram. For comparison, a high-performance lithium-ion battery can store 200 watt-hours per kilogram. However, ultracapacitor buses are about 40% cheaper than lithium-ion battery buses and are more reliable.

There is also a hybrid version of these buses that uses both ultracapacitors and other energy sources.

Sinautec is working with MIT to develop ultracapacitors with higher energy density using carbon nanotubes. These new ultracapacitors can store twice as much energy as current models, and the company is aiming to reach five times the energy density of existing models. This would make ultracapacitors hold about one-quarter of the energy of a lithium-ion battery.

Like other electric vehicles, electric buses can be affected by cold weather and climate control systems, which may reduce their performance. Terrain can also be a challenge for electric buses compared to trolleybuses, which draw power from overhead lines. Battery electric buses may carry fewer passengers than trolleybuses because the weight of the batteries increases the load on the bus’s axles, which is limited by road regulations. Even when conditions are good, diesel buses are often used because diesel fuel is cheaper. High electricity costs and proprietary charging systems can also slow the adoption of electric buses.

Some transportation planners and writers question whether making all buses electric should be a top priority. Hybrid buses usually get about 4 miles per gallon of fuel. When divided among 50 to 150 passengers, hybrid buses can be more than 10 times as efficient as gas-powered cars. A fast, frequent, and full public transit system is more efficient. Other improvements, like bus rapid transit, metro rail, vanpooling, trolleybuses, traffic calming, and bike lanes, may reduce emissions more effectively for the same cost. These concerns may decrease as battery technology improves. Some buses

School use

In 2014, the first working model of an all-electric school bus was delivered to the Kings Canyon Unified School District in California's San Joaquin Valley. The Class-A school bus was built by Trans Tech Bus using an electric system that controls the bus's movement, developed by Motiv Power Systems in Foster City, California. The bus was one of four ordered by the district. The first group of SST-e buses (as they are called) was partly funded by the AB 118 Air Quality Improvement Program, managed by the California Air Resources Board.

The bus made by Trans Tech and Motiv passed all inspections and certifications required by the district and the California Highway Patrol. While some diesel hybrid buses are used, this was the first modern electric school bus approved for student transportation by any state.

Since 2015, the Canadian company Lion Bus has produced a full-size school bus called the eLion, with a body made from composite materials. This model has been regularly produced and shipped since early 2016. About 50 of these buses were sold by 2017.

In February 2021, there were approximately 300 electric school buses in use in the United States. That month, Montgomery County, Maryland, approved a plan to replace its 1,400 school buses with electric models by 2035. The first 25 buses were expected to arrive in the fall of 2021.

The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included $2.5 billion in funding for electric school buses, to be given out over five years.

By June 2022, 38 U.S. states were using electric school buses. By July 2023, 909 school districts and private fleet operators across all 50 states, plus five tribal nations and territories, had received funding, ordered buses, received them, or were already using electric school buses.

In September 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) doubled its funding for electric school buses, increasing it from $500 million to nearly $1 billion due to high demand. Improved air quality from electric buses compared to diesel buses is expected to help children with asthma. Additionally, the BIDIRECTIONAL Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate to "create a program focused on using electric school buses that can send electricity back to the power grid."

List of electric buses

Transit authorities using battery-powered or other electric buses, not trolleybuses:

• Alexandria
• Cairo: Cairo Transportation Authority – 170 buses operated by Mowasalat Misr Cairo Bus Rapid Transit
• Sharm El Sheikh

• Nairobi: BasiGo electric buses from BYD

• Marrakesh: BRT Marrakesh – eBRT (electric bus rapid transit as trolleybuses)
• Agadir: Agadir Mobility SA – eBRT (electric bus rapid transit)

• Kigali: BasiGo, same company as Kenya electric buses from BYD

• Cape Town: Golden Arrow Bus Services – 120 electric buses from BYD

Baku: Baku Transport Agency (BNA), BYD bus launched on September 26, 2023, first electric bus in Baku

As of 2016, 156,000 buses are being added to service yearly in China. As of the end of 2020, 378,700 electric buses were in operation, making up 53.8% of all buses.

• Transjakarta plans to replace old buses with newer battery electric buses. Options include locally made MAB buses and imported BYD buses. Trials began in September 2019. In June 2022, TransJakarta ordered electric buses from three brands: SAG, Zhongtong, and Skywell.
• Paiton Energy received the first locally made electric bus from PT MAB.
• INKA electric buses are used by BRT systems in Bandung (Trans Metro Pasundan) and Surabaya (Trans Semanggi Suroboyo).

• On March 6, 2014, India’s first intra-city electric bus was launched in Bengaluru.
• On October 17, 2016, Ashok Leyland introduced India’s first locally made electric bus.
• On August 8, 2019, the Indian government approved 5,595 electric buses for 64 cities and state transport systems.
• On September 5, 2019, India’s first inter-city electric bus service, from Mumbai to Pune, began.

Cities using electric buses include:

• Iran’s first electric bus was launched in Tehran in 2021. It is named SHETAB and uses PLM technology developed in Iran.
• Israel has more than 100 electric buses in a fleet of about 13,000 buses.
• Dan, a Tel Aviv public transport operator, began electric bus service on September 15, 2016, with five Chariot ultracapacitor electric buses on Route 4. After 2017, Dan added four more Chariot electric buses with 32kWh ultracapacitors. By late 2020, 37 Chariot electric buses operated in Tel Aviv.

• Community Bus "Hamurun" (operated by Nishi Tokyo Bus) in Hamura, Tokyo, since March 10, 2012.
• Community Bus "Sumida Hyakkei" (operated by Keisei Bus) in Sumida, Tokyo, since March 20, 2012.
• Kitakyushu City, Japan.

400 Yutong electric buses are in service in Punjab, Pakistan, as of October 2025. Trials and studies began in January 2025. These buses operate in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, and Mian Wali. A trackless electric tram in Lahore is set to launch in February 2026. Karachi is also preparing to roll out electric buses citywide.

741 electric buses are operated by Mowasalat (Karwa), the country’s public transit system.

• On October 24, 2018, the Land Transport Authority purchased 60 fully electric buses: 20 BYD K9, 20 ST Engineering-Linkker LM312, 10 Yutong E12 single-decker, and 10 Yutong E12DD double-decker buses for $50.64 million.
• On October 17, 2019, SMRT Buses began using BYD C6 electric minibuses on Bus 825, marking Singapore’s first fully electric public minibuses.
• On April 3, 2020, Go-Ahead Singapore, Tower Transit Singapore, and SMRT Buses started using Yutong E12 electric buses, beginning the rollout of 60 electric buses and Singapore’s first single-decker electric buses.
• On July 29, 2020, SBS Transit began using BYD K9 Gemilang-bodied electric buses. EV chargers are located at the Seletar Bus Depot (SEDEP).
• On October 27, 2020, Go-Ahead Singapore, Tower Transit Singapore, and SMRT Buses began using Yutong E12DD double-decker electric buses, marking Singapore’s first double-decker electric buses.
• On August 25, 2021, SBS Transit and SMRT Buses began using ST Engineering Linkker LM312 electric buses, starting the deployment of Opportunity Rail Charging Electric buses for Bedok and Bukit Panjang Bus Interchanges.
• On October 2022, the Land Transport Authority ordered 970 electric buses.
• As of October 2025, 300 electric buses are in service.

• Seoul: 2,500 electric buses in operation.
• Busan: 1,000 electric buses in operation.
• Incheon: 500 electric buses in operation.

• VinBus made by VinFast of Vingroup

• Е433 «Vitovt Max Electro» (Minsk)
• E420
• E321

Belgium’s bus electrification is increasing:

• At the end of 2019, STIB/MIVB operated 800 buses, 184 (23%) of which were hybrids. Plans for 50–100 electric buses are being developed, and hydrogen options are being studied.

• At the end of 2019, De Lijn