Dearborn’s electric school buses signal statewide momentum

Clean transportation took a visible leap forward in Dearborn last month as community leaders, students and advocates gathered to unveil 18 new electric school buses and 20 chargers for the city’s public schools. The event marked a meaningful step not just for Dearborn but for the growing statewide effort to cut pollution, protect student health and invest in a more sustainable future.

“Electric school buses represent more than just the way to get students to schools,” said Mahdi Nasrala, a Dearborn High School student who spoke at the event. “They represent the fact that Dearborn doesn’t wait for change, we actively create it.” 

For Mahdi and his peers, the new electric buses are more than a technology upgrade, they’re a symbol of hope and accountability. 

“Every student who steps onto one of these buses isn’t just riding to school,” he added. “They’re riding into the future.”

That future looks a lot cleaner. Unlike their diesel counterparts, electric buses produce zero tailpipe emissions—meaning no clouds of diesel exhaust at the curb, and no more students boarding buses through a haze of pollutants linked to asthma, respiratory illness and poor attendance. The health benefits are particularly critical in areas like Wayne County, which has long struggled to meet federal air quality standards.

“When a community chooses people over profits and invests in clean air for our children, it matters,” said U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, who attended the ribbon cutting. “Children can’t learn if they’re breathing dirty air.”

The fleet’s launch is part of a broader wave of momentum for electric school buses across the state—momentum that the Environmental Council helped build through years of advocacy and coalition work. Our team played a key role in securing $125 million in state budget funding for electric school buses, engaging lawmakers through testimony, strategic messaging and grassroots action. We also worked closely with partners, including It’s Electric! (Michigan’s Electric School Bus Coalition), MI Air MI Health, Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision and World Resources Institute on long-term implementation and communication strategies to ensure state-level investments would reach districts like Dearborn.

“Electric school buses are one of the most impactful ways we can improve air quality in our communities and protect kids where they’re most vulnerable—right outside their schools and homes,” said Ross Gavin, the Environmental Council’s Urban Land Use & Infrastructure Policy Director. 

Behind the scenes, Ross and his colleagues pushed for strong legislative support to retain the majority of Governor Whitmer’s original electric school bus proposal, a win that ultimately helped make Dearborn’s fleet possible. 

While the celebration was focused locally, the ripple effects are statewide. In addition to Dearborn, 338 electric school buses have been awarded to serve students in 63 other school districts like Zeeland and Oxford. And as Phil Roos, Director of Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), noted during the event, electric school buses are more than just clean—they’re also quieter, cheaper to operate, and more reliable. 

“They don’t require as much maintenance, they save on fuel costs, and they put money back in the classroom,” he said. “I’ve noticed across the state that having these electric school buses has sparked curiosity about the science behind them and about sustainability in general.”

That kind of inspiration was on full display in Dearborn, where the fleet launch served as a testament to the power of community-driven leadership. 

“This isn’t just exciting—it’s personal,” Mahdi, the student, told the crowd. “It shows that the adults in our community believe in sustainability, believe in responsibility, and believe in doing the right thing even when it’s not easy or convenient.”

As school districts across Michigan consider how to reduce pollution and improve student health, Dearborn is showing what’s possible with bold leadership and sustained investment. Cleaner air, greener transportation, and healthier futures for our children aren’t distant goals, they’re already arriving at the curb.