Highland Electric Fleets, the leading provider of school bus fleet Electrification-as-a-Service in North America, announced its partnership with the second largest student transportation provider in North America, National Express LLC and its subsidiary Durham Schools Services, to provide 52 electric school buses for districts across the country.
Awarded funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), totaling over $20M, will support the electrification and sustainability of Durham's fleet serving Compton Unified School District of California, Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy of Rhode Island, and Rumney School District of New Hampshire.
"We are thrilled about entering the next phase of our transition towards a fully electric school bus fleet," stated Nick Voisard, Senior Director of Electric Vehicles at National Express LLC.
"The growing body of evidence, including research from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, highlighting the positive impact of zero-emissions school buses on children's health, communities, and the environment fuels our enthusiasm to deploy these buses on the roads.
Witnessing the encouraging benefits of zero-emissions school buses is inspiring, and we are equally heartened by the increasing wealth of supporting data and studies as we advance on our journey toward becoming 100% zero-emissions by 2035."
Beth Dowd, Director of Operations at Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy (BVP), also shared, "By embracing this more sustainable initiative, we support the well-being of BVP scholars, our communities, and the environment, and prioritize a healthier and more vibrant future for all."
NEC and Highland will also be partnering with bus manufacturers IC and Thomas Built Buses for the deployment.
"It's an incredibly exciting opportunity for Highland to partner closely with National Express, who is a strong and reputable force in student transportation innovation," said Duncan McIntyre, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Highland. "With this partnership, we can work together to bring safe, reliable, and cleaner transportation to school districts, students, and communities across the country."
"By partnering with Highland Electric Fleets, National Express School and our customers stand to gain immensely from their industry-leading expertise as an electrification service provider. This partnership underscores National Express's unwavering commitment to global environmental sustainability, all while delivering secure and dependable transportation." –Dan Cecchin, SVP, Commercial Development, National Express LLC
About National Express:
National Express LLC (NELLC) is the North American subsidiary of Mobico Group, PLC, one of the premier global mobility firms. We operate across 34 states and two provinces. Our organizations share a strong commitment to provide the highest level of safety, quality, outstanding customer service and positive employee relations. National Express School (NEXS) operates more than 15,590 school buses, serves more than 429 school districts and contracts in 30 states and three provinces, and transports more than 1.3 million students on a daily basis. National Express Shuttle (WeDriveU) and Transit operates fixed route and demand-responsive mobility systems serving millions of annual passengers in thousands of vehicles, including electric vehicles (EVs). NELLC's headquarters is located in Lisle, Illinois. Our 290+ local customer service centers (CSCs) are supported by regional operations teams located throughout North America.
