New Survey: Voters Link Electric School Buses to Better Student Mental Health

BEVERLY, Mass., May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new national survey conducted by Highland Electric Fleets finds that voters and parents strongly associate electric school buses with better student mental health, particularly for children with special needs or sensory sensitivities. The findings reflect a growing understanding of how school transportation affects student well-being and readiness to learn. 

Two-thirds of U.S. parents (67%) believe that reducing stressors like diesel fumes and noise during the school commute can help support their child's emotional and academic success. This sentiment is echoed more broadly: 70% of voters say a calmer ride is important for students' mental health, and among parents, that number rises to 81%.

"We can't talk about student mental health without addressing their surroundings and routine—and that includes their transportation experience to and from school," said Ross Szabo, mental health speaker and the CEO of Human Power Project. "A calmer, quieter school bus experience is a simple way to cut down on stress, help kids show up ready to learn, and set a more relaxed tone for the start and end of their day."

When asked which type of bus better supports students' mental health, voters were four times more likely to choose electric over diesel. Concern about diesel exposure is common, with two-thirds of voters expressing at least some concern, including 71% of mothers.

Support is even stronger when respondents consider students with sensory sensitivities or who are neurodivergent. Many view the quieter, smoother ride of electric buses as a meaningful way to reduce sensory stress and create a more inclusive experience. For these students, and for others, there is also growing recognition that reducing exposure to diesel exhaust can contribute to a healthier ride overall.

"It's encouraging to see so many parents recognizing the benefits electric school buses bring to students," said Duncan McIntyre, Founder and CEO of Highland Electric Fleets. "At Highland, we're proud to partner with school districts across the country to help transition fleets from diesel to electric, because it's not just about cleaner air and lower emissions, it's about providing a calmer, healthier, and quieter ride that helps set students up for success."

About Highland Electric Fleets

Highland Electric Fleets is North America's leading provider of electrification-as-a-service. Founded in 2019, Highland makes it simple and affordable to transition fleets of all sizes to electric, from school buses to public safety, municipal and commercial vehicles. 

Highland led the first use of electric school buses in a commercial vehicle-to-grid (V2G) program and operates the largest electric school bus project in the U.S. With approximately 95% of school buses built in the U.S., the shift to electric drives American innovation, strengthens domestic manufacturing, and creates jobs in communities across the country in addition to reducing emissions and lowering operating costs. Learn more at www.highlandfleets.com.

Methodology

The April 2025 Echelon Insights Verified Voter Omnibus was fielded online from April 10-14, 2025, in English among a sample of N=1,014 voters in the Likely Electorate (LE) nationwide using non-probability sampling. The sample was weighted to reflect modeled turnout and demographic characteristics of the population of voters in the 2024 likely electorate based on a probabilistic model derived from the L2 voter file and the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey demographic data adjusted to match voter registration estimates from the November 2020 Current Population Survey Voting and Registration Supplement. Weighting dimensions included gender, age, race/ethnicity, education, region, party, and voting history. Data quality measures included the use of trap questions to check for attentiveness and measures to prevent and remove duplicate responses based on IP address and voter file matches. Calculated the way it would be for a random sample and adjusted to incorporate the effect of weighting; the margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points.

Media Contact

Chris Orlando | Highland
[email protected]

SOURCE Highland Electric Fleets