First Student, a leading provider of school transportation in North America, has officially surpassed 3 million miles driven on electric school buses. The latest milestone comes just eight months after First Student crossed the 2-million-mile mark, representing another major achievement for the company’s electric school bus fleet and a sign of increased adoption of zero-emission student transportation.
“Three million electric miles driven is an astounding achievement, and it is also just the beginning of a brighter, cleaner, safer future for the students we serve,” says First Student CEO John Kenning. “This is a proud day for our team, not just as the largest provider of school transportation in North America and the leaders in zero-emission school buses, but because of what it means for so many communities now and in the coming years. To help students reach their full potential, we need to help districts deploy quieter buses, create safer rides and deliver cleaner air not tomorrow but today — and that’s just what today’s announcement represents.”
At 3 million miles, First Student electric school buses have driven the equivalent of 120 trips around the Earth. 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 each year.
First Student has deployed more than 330 electric buses to school districts across North America. With an additional 1,108 electric buses approved to be ordered, the company’s fleet is expected to grow to over 1,400 total vehicles by the end of 2024. These electric buses will reduce carbon emissions by 75,600,000 tons.
The firm is among the leading recipients of funds in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean School Bus Program, which provides $5 billion over five years (2022–2026) for school bus electrification. First Student is actively helping school districts apply for this funding and has secured nearly $220 million for districts so far. The EPA awarded First Student $140 million in January 2024 — the largest amount awarded among all contractors — to enable the firm to deploy more than 370 new electric school buses in school districts across the U.S.
