First Student credits the acceleration of electrification to First Charge, the company's innovative EV charging solution, which is now available to all school districts. The technology simplifies the electrification process by eliminating the need for trenching, even in cold weather climates, and saves up to 50% in installation costs. More than 20 school districts are already using First Charge, and it is in the process of being installed in 40 additional districts.
"Four million miles driven is a remarkable achievement, and for our team, it is just the beginning. I thank them for their work in setting a new standard for our industry," said First Student CEO & President John Kenning. "Electrification helps us achieve our mission of providing the safest possible ride to school so that children can reach their full potential/ By creating quieter, cleaner, and safer rides to school on electric school buses and helping districts scale deployments through First Charge, we can make the future of student transportation a reality today. I am confident our team will continue to drive the industry into this new era."
At 4 million miles, First Student electric school buses have safely driven the equivalent of 160 trips around the world, more than any other transportation provider. Electric school buses are safer, quieter, and healthier for students and communities. First Student expects to cross 6 million electric miles driven by the end of the 2024-2025 school year.
"We are excited to mark four million electric miles because electric school bus rides are safer for students and better for the environment," said First Student Head of Electrification Kevin Matthews. "First Student is committed to providing the safest rides for the school districts and families we serve, and we will continue to create the technology that sets the standard for the future of our industry."
This milestone follows on the heels of a landmark agreement from First Student and Con Edison. The two companies recently announced a novel demonstration project in Brooklyn, New York, which will revolutionize how students are transported to school and how cities and utilities power their grids. The project includes a fleet of 12 electric school buses for Brooklyn schools topped with solar panels that will replace diesel buses. These panels, along with solar arrays on the rooftop of the facility, will create a unique energy generation, battery storage and power delivery system. The system will utilize Vehicle-to-Everything technology, allowing Con Edison the ability to send clean solar generated power anywhere on the grid using school bus batteries.
Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, First Student expects to achieve numerous electrification milestones, including:
- Deploying 110 new electric school buses in 10 school districts
- Completing 167,400 trips on 465 electric buses
- Reducing carbon emissions by 12,550 tons
The pace of First Student's electrification milestones has accelerated exponentially as the company pushes toward its goal of transitioning 30,000 diesel school buses to electric by 2035. Replacing just one diesel school bus with an electric school bus can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54,000 pounds annually.
About First Student
As North America's leading school transportation solutions provider, First Student strives to provide unmatched care and the safest ride to school to 5.5 million students daily. With a team of highly trained drivers, the company will complete 1 billion student trips during the 2024-25 school year. First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, fleet electrification, route optimization, scheduling, maintenance, and charter services. Its fleet includes about 45,000 buses.
CONTACT
Jen Biddinger
513.362.4600
