Training and certification of technicians must go hand-in-hand with the transition to electric school buses, according to a report by Pollution Probe and Mobility Futures Lab. If not, the switch could be on a detour.

In Amped Up, Toronto-based environmental non-profit Pollution Probe and consultancy Mobility Futures Lab stress the importance of addressing “substantial technical shifts in maintenance practice” for school bus fleet operators with more battery-powered buses on the road.

The move from diesel-powered parts to the hardware, software and infrastructure for electric buses demands retraining of technicians. If not addressed, fleet operators are at risk of having an unprepared workforce dealing with more complexity and being more dependent on manufacturers, the report says.

Released today, the report is the next step in years of research and pilot studies on electric school buses, Marc Saleh, Pollution Probe’s director of transportation, said in an interview with Sustainable Biz Canada.

“Based on all that . . . we realized how important servicing was – actually having technicians and having the right servicing in place for the buses to run reliably.”

Where the transition could hit a speed bump

To reduce carbon emissions from transportation, some provincial governments have mandated the adoption of electric buses by schools. The Canadian Electric School Bus Alliance found just under 2,000 electric school buses operating across the country, representing almost four per cent of the nation’s school buses.

While electric school buses are virtually identical to diesel-powered counterparts on the outside, they have significant differences inside. High-voltage battery systems and power electronics are unique to battery-powered buses, as well as the charging infrastructure. Software-based assessments are more critical to electric buses, which many technicians are not trained for today, Saleh said.

“There are a lot of transferable skills from existing diesel technicians to (electric vehicles),” he said. “Now, with that in mind, there are still a lot of new things.”

While more electric school buses are being deployed, the report says training systems and certification pathways have not matched the pace, creating potential gaps in workforce readiness.

Pollution Probe and Mobility Futures Lab examined how Canada can build and scale the workforce capabilities required to safely maintain electric school buses. The focus of their research was establishing a training and regulatory baseline for electric school buses, understanding the needs to upskill heavy-duty diesel mechanics, and laying out the training for handling charging infrastructure.

The two organizations interviewed fleet operators and sector experts to outline maintenance challenges, training limitations, regional disparities in access to programs, and who should be responsible for certain roles in the transition.

Training critical to overcoming barriers 

The report found many maintenance skills carry over from diesel buses to electric buses, Saleh said, because the mechanical systems are similar. The biggest differences emerged from the batteries and software-based diagnostics.

This means adjusting to the high voltages of the electric bus batteries with new safety protocols, such as technicians having insulated rubber gloves, and knowing how to use the diagnostics software. Training on handling core electric powertrain components is also identified as vital.

The report highlights the importance of formal training in the electric school bus transition. It urges a tiered framework so professionals can gradually build the knowledge of servicing the buses, going from being introduced to the technology to developing deep systems knowledge which can lead to a certification.

The frameworks should be aligned with organizations and standards such as the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and federal Red Seal Program, the report states.

The CSA already offers an Automotive Electric Vehicle Technician Certification designed to standardize qualifications for high-voltage electric vehicle (EV) service in Canada.

Recommendations for a smooth electric bus switch-over

Multiple players must be involved in the transition, Saleh said. The report identifies who should be responsible, and the role they could play.

Fleet operators are going to drive the implementation because they are responsible for the bus maintenance, Saleh said.

Certification bodies and standards associations like the CSA have a role in accelerating the development of heavy-duty EV certifications.

Provincial governments are urged to fund upskilling training programs in colleges and update their curricula so trade school and college programs eligible for Red Seal certification integrate EV-related content.

The report recommends steps such as public funding programs supporting electric school bus adoption requiring workforce training plans as part of eligibility, and standards organizations accelerating the development of heavy-duty EV certifications.