As we step into 2026, the zero-emission transportation industry is poised for meaningful progress — but not without challenges. Over the past year, operators, OEMs, and stakeholders navigated shifting federal priorities, uncertainty around tariffs, fluctuations in federal grant funding, and market instability. While these obstacles have tested the industry, they also highlight the importance of strategic planning, collaboration, and adaptability. Aligning projects with Administration priorities, such as American energy independence and cost reductions through efficiency, remains critical for project success as we work toward a cleaner, more efficient, and sustainable transportation future.

Electric school buses offer cleaner air for students, reduced operating costs for districts, and long-term climate and workforce benefits. Yet most U.S. school buses still run on diesel. Achieving full electrification will require coordinated action across utilities, manufacturers, school districts, technical advisors, financing institutions, and federal, state, and local officials. The newly released Roadmap to 100: Electrifying the Full US School Bus Fleet, developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Center for Transportation and the Environment outlines the barriers slowing adoption and the solutions that can unlock progress at scale.

This paper identifies the challenges, solutions, and actionable steps needed to achieve nationwide electrification of the U.S. school bus fleet. The research is qualitative and grounded in real-world experience, supported by current data on the electric school bus (ESB) market. Over the next one to three years, stakeholders must work together to accelerate progress. Priority actions include advancing toward TCO parity, expanding aggregated procurement, improving ESB revenue opportunities, and strategically increasing funding and financing.

On November 20, 2025, the Federal Transit Administration announced over $2 billion in funding for the Low or No Emission Vehicle (Low-No) and the Bus and Bus Facilities discretionary funding programs. This funding will support over 160 transit projects across 45 states and Washington, D.C. CTE is proud to share that six partner agencies that CTE supported on their Low-No applications received funding—a nearly 50% success rate for CTE-supported applications overall. We are thrilled to be able to continue supporting transit agencies in accessing grant funds from federal and state programs. 

On September 29–30, transit agencies from across the U.S. and Canada traveled to the Puget Sound region and the picturesque city of Everett, WA, for the ZEBRA Fall Roundtable. Co-hosted by member agencies, Community Transit and King County Metro and organized by the Zero Emission Bus Resource Alliance (ZEBRA), this gathering marked the largest ZEBRA roundtable to date—bringing together representatives from 22 agencies to exchange insights and explore the latest in zero-emission transit technologies.

National Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Day, recognized on October 8th (for hydrogen's atomic weight of 1.008), highlights the growing role of hydrogen technology in transportation. At the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), we are focused on demonstrating and deploying fuel cell vehicles in medium-and heavy-duty applications across the US and Canada, proving that hydrogen as a transportation fuel is not just a concept for the future- but is economically and operationally viable today.

As the US policy environment evolves, it is more critical than ever to demonstrate the positive economic impacts of the transition to alternative fueled vehicles. Lawmakers are focused on the economic and workforce benefits these vehicles may provide to their constituents, shifting focus from climate and health benefits highlighted in the previous administration.

On September 9, 2025, the world will celebrate the sixth annual World EV Day™, a global movement that brings together communities, companies, and policymakers to recognize the progress of electric mobility.

The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) proudly announces that Niki Rinaldi El-Abd, Senior Managing Consultant and head of CTE’s Berkeley, California office has been appointed to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Board of Directors for a three-year term beginning in 2025.

With the Low or No Emission Grant Program (Low-No) application window closing in mid-July, CTE’s Policy team is reflecting on key changes in this year’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and anticipated programmatic shifts under the Trump Administration.