As the public voice in favour of accelerating the uptake of electric school buses (ESBs) in Canada, the Canadian Electric School Bus Alliance (CESBA) is concerned about how recent news regarding the Lion Electric Company’s financial situation may impact the urgent transition away from diesel school buses.
Lion Electric Company is a major ESB supplier, providing buses to sector leaders in the provinces of P.E.I., Québec, Ontario, and more. Furthermore, they are one of only a few manufacturers meeting the ESB demand in Canada. Given the small pool of suppliers serving the Canadian market, we are deeply concerned for the workers and their families who have been directly impacted, but also for the fleet operators, children, and everyone else depending on the rapid electrification of this key sector.
This news has further strengthened our commitment to working through the inevitable challenges inherent to advancing the ESB transition, and in response, we call for the following actions to support a more just and resilient ESB market landscape going forward:
- Prioritize the health and futures of our children: our children should not have to wait for a healthier and more sustainable future. With over 2 million children in Canada riding a bus to school twice daily for most of the year, and with the vast majority of those buses burning harmful diesel fuels, the ESB transition must continue with increasing ambition to achieve 100 per cent ESBs by 2040.
- Immediate efforts to retain highly skilled workers: immediate efforts should be made to transition highly skilled workers who have been laid off to well-compensated roles with fair labor conditions within the ESB industry. This would ensure job security for those workers, as well as retain their unique skills and knowledge essential for both the manufacturing and maintenance of ESBs.
- Transparency, access, and support for champions: many operators across the country have championed the transition to ESBs by investing in buses from Lion Electric Company. It is crucial that all operators with these buses be provided with transparent access to the necessary industry knowledge, training, and spare parts that are required for ongoing maintenance, and that any unfilled orders be reimbursed in full.
- Government leadership for a just transition: we need governments across all jurisdictions to provide predictable adoption targets and stable funding sources, in order to support a domestic supply chain and to ensure sustainable growth within the ESB market. Government leadership is also essential in creating equitable conditions within the sector, especially for workers, students, and marginalized communities.
Challenges are inevitable with the adoption of any new technology, but we must not let them slow down this important transition towards 100 percent ESB adoption in Canada. We’re committed to continuing our work alongside our many members, industry partners, and community allies to help the 2 million children riding school buses breathe cleaner air on their way to school.