The Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo is back in Anaheim, California, with sessions that focus on helping fleets navigate the evolving landscape of clean technologies and policies, including one on school buses.
This year’s school bus session, School Bus Sector: Rolling out the New Generation of School Buses, is scheduled for Wednesday, April 30. The session seeks to give attendees insights into best practices of real-world school fleets, using private and public funds, exploring the environmental and health benefits, and discussing emerging technologies such as V2G. No speakers for the school bus session were announced at this report.
Attendees will also have the option to attend a Ride & Drive, browse the exhibit floor and attend keynote sessions, as well as the various other breakout sessions slated for the conference held April 28-May 1.
“As fleets enter 2025, there are more questions than ever about the state of the clean vehicle industry, which technologies are really working, how to achieve a positive [total cost of ownership] and a whole lot more. ACT Expo is the place where fleets can cut through the chaos and gain clarity on the best technologies and strategies to improve operational efficiency, drive sustainability, and gain a competitive advantage,” stated Erik Neandross, president of Clean Transportation Solutions at TRC, the producers of ACT Expo. “Our educational sessions are truly the best in the industry; we provide fleets with the tools to build a roadmap for the future that combines innovation with practical, real-world solutions and demonstrated expertise provided by other fleet operators.”
The Trump administration has said it will repeal any federal zero-emissions vehicle mandates and prioritize increased development of internal combustion vehicles. Already, the California Air Resources Board withdrew its request for federal approval for stricter emissions rules for locomotives and semi-trucks. The rule would have phased out the sale of new diesel trucks and buses by 2036. Transport Topics reported that CARB pulled back because U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had yet to approve the request and that even if it had already done so the Trump administration would rescind it.
CARB already received an EPA waiver for the Omnibus Lo-NOX regulation that includes school buses. NOx emissions must be reduced by 75 percent for model-year 2024 through 2026 engines.
Related: EPA, Treasury Disseminate Electric School Bus Tax Credit Information
Related: EPA Extends 2024 Clean School Bus Program Rebate Application Deadline
Related: EPA Awards Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program Funds Nationwide
Related: Oregon School District, First Student Win Fleet Awards at ACT EXPO
Related: Districts, Contractors Discuss School Bus Electrification Journey at ACT EXPO
Meanwhile, ACT Expo keynote speakers for this year will be announced this month, with the full roster expected in February.
The 2024 event was at the Las Vegas Convention Center and more than 12,000 commercial transportation professionals attended. TRC stated that as the event returns to Anaheim, “it will feature roughly twice the expo hall space of the 2023 Anaheim event to accommodate the increasing number of exhibitors, advanced vehicles and clean transportation solutions on display in the exhibit hall.”
STN Media is a media sponsor of the event.
