Arlington Continues To Add To Its Electric School Bus Arsenal

ARLINGTON, MA — The town has secured funding to add a fourth electric school bus to the public school district.

Arlington has been awarded $169,172 through the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's Diesel Emission Reduction Act Electric Solicitation Grant program. The funding will replace one diesel school bus with a battery-electric model, bringing the Arlington Public Schools fleet to four electric buses out of 13 total.

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The purchase is part of the town's Net-Zero Action Plan, which calls for transitioning Arlington's municipal vehicle fleet to all electric by 2050.

"The Town is working diligently to lead by example and electrify our vehicle fleet," Town Manager Jim Feeney said in a statement. "We are excited to get another electric school bus on the road, supporting healthier air for our residents and reducing the Town's overall climate impact."

According to the town, the new bus will support the Commonwealth's climate action, pollution reduction and environmental justice goals while replacing an older diesel-powered vehicle with zero-emission technology.

Arlington was one of seven recipients selected for MassDEP's 2025 DERA Electric Solicitation Grant program. The state awarded a total of $3,383,590 through the program to help municipalities and other organizations purchase electric vehicles or replace outdated diesel-powered equipment. MassDEP said the grants prioritize projects that reduce air pollution by bringing cleaner technologies into the transportation network.

"We're thrilled to add a fourth electric school bus to the APS fleet," Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Homan said in a statement. "These buses support a healthier environment from day 1 on the roads, plus they help us do our part to secure a climate-stable future for our kids."

The grant builds on Arlington's recent efforts to electrify its school transportation fleet. Earlier this year, the town announced it had secured its third electric school bus through a Massachusetts Clean Energy Center pilot program. As part of that initiative, Arlington also received a bi-directional charging station at no cost.

Town officials have said the charging technology will allow electric school buses to both draw electricity from and return electricity to the power grid or town buildings. In addition to providing backup power during outages, the system is expected to help reduce the town's energy costs by supplying electricity during periods of peak demand.

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