| November 5, 2025

The Electric School Bus Initiative’s Community to Advance Finance for Electric School Buses

Working together to innovate equitable financial solutions to scale the electric school bus sector

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An electric school bus charges in a parking lot

Financial tools play a vital role in addressing the upfront cost barriers school bus operators face when switching to electric school buses. That’s why the Electric School Bus Initiative and Clean Energy Works have established the Community to Advance Finance for Electric School Buses (CAFE), to help foster financial innovations that can advance an equitable transition to electric school buses.  

The CAFE is an action-oriented community of practice where leading green and social impact finance practitioners and transportation equity groups collaborate to develop and implement electric school bus financing solutions. The CAFE provides:

  • monthly facilitated discussions on specific financial barriers
  • cross-pollination of ideas and rapid iteration on solutions
  • relationship-building among key stakeholders across geographies
  • shared resources and technical assistance

Members of the CAFE have developed novel financial products and services and continue to innovate to accelerate electrification.  

For more information—or for financial practitioners and transportation equity organizations interested in joining CAFÉ—email Michelle Levinson at michelle.levinson@wri.org.   

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Primary Contacts:
Michelle Levinson