UCI provides 20 all-electric shuttle buses and a hydrogen fuel-cell bus, which transports students throughout campus. Steve Zylius / UCI

The 2020 Green Fleet Awards have recognized UCI as having the 10th greenest fleet in the nation, making it the highest-ranked university on the list. It also won the “Best University or College Fleet Merit” award for its reduction in fuel consumption and use of electrified student transportation. 100 Best Fleets website noted: “This fleet had amazing diesel reduction from 126K to 21K gallons from 2018 to 2019 through use of electric and hydrogen shuttle buses.” Overall, UCI stood out in its fleet composition, fuel and emissions, policy and planning, fleet utilization, education, executive and employee involvement, and support programming. Before the pandemic hit, the 20 all-electric shuttle buses and hydrogen fuel cell bus regularly transported 36,032 students throughout campus. In 2017, it became the first university in the country to abandon its traditional diesel fuel-powered buses and shift to completely sustainable transportation.