4,500 NY Students Get Electric School Buses This Year

Copiague Public Schools in Long Island just upgraded to 10 brand new electric school buses, giving 4,500 students a healthier ride to class every single day.

The shift to electric happened through a partnership between Zenobē (a fleet electrification company), the Trans Group, and Educational Bus Transportation. New York's School Bus Incentive Program covered part of the cost, while Zenobē filled in the gaps and set up all the charging stations.

Traditional diesel buses pump exhaust at face level for kids waiting to board and riding inside. These new electric buses produce zero emissions, meaning cleaner air for students, drivers, and neighborhoods along every route.

"As a long-time provider of transportation services to Long Islanders, we're excited to continue the process of bringing clean school buses to our students and drivers," said Tim Flood, Executive Vice President of the Trans Group. The company has been serving the area for years and sees this as a natural next step.

The funding model matters because it could work anywhere. New York's Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act paid for the state incentives. When that public money combined with Zenobē's private investment and technical know-how, schools got electric buses without breaking their budgets.

The Ripple Effect

This Copiague project creates a blueprint other school districts can follow. Zenobē already manages over 3,400 electric vehicles across 120 locations worldwide, with nearly a quarter of the UK's electric bus market.

The company brings expertise in charging infrastructure and fleet management, two big headaches that stop many districts from making the switch. Their turnkey service means schools don't need to become energy experts to go electric.

Shreya Malik, Managing Director at KKR (an investor in Zenobē), highlighted how proven platforms help schools meet state clean transportation mandates while keeping costs manageable. More districts watching Copiague's success could mean thousands more electric buses across New York and beyond.

Every electric school bus that replaces a diesel one means thousands of student trips with cleaner air, and Long Island just added 10 more reasons to smile.