Q&A
customers were already utilizing alternative transporta- tion solutions, whether with other vendors or local taxi services. Because our solution allows districts to bring all their transportation needs under one umbrella, with great technology, we have experienced huge interest. We can meet the transportation needs of every student, regardless of vehicle type. Districts that provide their own transportation are inter- ested because they, too, have alternative transportation needs for special populations and are experiencing driver shortages. Partnering with FirstAlt ensures that the vehicles we put on the road and the drivers behind the wheel meet the same indus- try-leading safety and training standards as our bus customers.
STN: Switching gears, what has been the biggest obstacle as the company strives to electrify over two-thirds of its fleet by 2035? What obstacle(s) remain?
Kenning: Last year, we wanted to have a better ap- proach to our electric deployments. We were simply chasing grants without a strategy. We now have an electrification approach that factors in available grant funds, utility programs, Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) calculations and more, so that we’re focusing our time and effort where we can have successful deployments from both an operational and economic standpoint for school districts. We want to electrify 20 or more vehicles at a time per location, and to do that you need to have a well-thought-out strategy and a process for engaging all stakeholders.
STN: Any updates on EV initiatives to share?
Kenning: While higher costs for electric school buses and charging infrastructure are the most predominant challenges to electrifying 30,000 vehicles by 2035, it’s also a matter of school district interest. A successful deployment is collaborative as we work very closely with school personnel, local utility companies and other vendors for permit- ting, charging infrastructure and site planning. It takes time and resources and can only be suc- cessful if a district is serious about transitioning to electric school buses and embraces the opportu- nity. The charging infrastructure planning alone must begin long before ordering the actual buses. Our experience in this area was what led us to launch our EV consulting business, so we can help non-First Student customers electrify their fleets and design routes based on the bat- tery range.
“The charging infrastructure planning alone must begin long before the ordering of actual [electric] buses. Our experience in this area was what led us to launch our EV consulting business.”
Kenning: We are excited about our position in our electrification journey as we partner with school districts to electrify their fleets. We are proud to be North America’s largest operator of electric school buses. In round one of the EPA funding, we assisted 13 school districts to win 205 electric school buses. To date, we have deployed 256 electric school buses, with another 317 on order, and driven nearly two million electric miles. As a result, we have reduced green- house gas emissions by 13,824,000 pounds. We’re now at a point where we’re collecting data in significant quan- tities on our current operations so that we can make better deci- sions on future deployments. We look forward to also working with non-customer school districts to assist them with their transition to electric vehicles. Our consulting
business allows us to bring our operational experience and data to them so that they, too, can realize success- ful EV deployments. We are committed to electrifying 30,000 buses by 2035, but we are also very interested in advancing the technology and flattening the adoption curve for this technology.
STN: What were the company’s electrification goals when you took the leadership reins in 2022, and has the company achieved them?
STN: Thank you. ●
30 School Transportation News • SEPTEMBER 2023
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