CINCINNATI — School transportation leader First Student is breaking ground again in EV. Underground fuel storage tanks are no longer needed at the company’s location in LaSalle, Quebec. The majority of the school bus fleet is now electric.
Removing the two tanks is a significant milestone in First Student’s electrification efforts and a strong sign of its commitment to go green. The company’s internal team of EV experts planned, managed and executed the safe and successful removal of the tanks, which was a first for the company.
“This is a Rubicon moment for us,” said First Student Head of Electrification Kevin L. Matthews. “We are not going back to fossil fuels. First Student is the leader in school bus electrification, and we are recognized by the whole of the EV industry as an innovator in the medium and heavy-duty electrification space.”
The two tanks held a total of more than 17,000 gallons of fuel. Chargers now power buses, lowering operating costs, reducing emissions and ensuring communities have cleaner transportation options.
The First Student LaSalle location operates the largest fleet of electric school buses in the world. More than 170 electric school buses are currently transporting thousands of students in Quebec. The company’s EV fleet in Eastern Canada will grow to 300 by the first half of 2023.
First Student continues to partner with its school district customers to write, complete and win grant applications for EV funding. Most recently, the company helped more than 70 districts apply for funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program.
New deployments of electric school buses are actively being planned at more than 10 First Student locations, including in California, Oregon and Missouri.
About First Student
As a leading school transportation solutions provider in North America, First Student strives to provide the best start and finish to every school day. With a team of highly-trained drivers and the industry’s strongest safety record, First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, route optimization, and scheduling, maintenance, and charter services with a fleet of about 40,000 buses. For more information, visit firststudentinc.com.