US sets course for fully electric public transit

A new bill introduced by US senators will see a staggering US$500bn put toward the electrification of public transit across the country, with an emphasis on zero emissions buses and new charging points for electric vehicles (EVs).

The Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development and Generating Renewable Energy to Electrify the Nation’s (BUILD GREEN) Infrastructure and Jobs Act was introduced by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey and House Representatives Andy Levin and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It is described as “the first step to jumpstart transportation electrification” in the US.

Put forward in March 2021, the bill's US$500bn in grant funding would be spread over ten years, targeting the electrification of everything from city and school buses to fleet vehicles and light rail services. The