First Student's electric school bus team
triumphed over a competitive slate of national transportation and
logistics providers
CINCINNATI, May 21, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- First Student, the leading school transportation
provider in North America and an
industry leader in electrification, has been named the winner of
the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo's Leading Private
Fleet Award at the organization's annual industry conference in
Las Vegas. First Student is the
first student transportation company to win the award. Its electric
vehicle team, led by Head of Electrification Kevin Matthews, was
recognized for their outstanding efforts and achievements in
deploying electric school buses nationwide.
First Student prevailed over a competitive slate of national
transportation and logistics providers. Previous winners of this
award include Anheuser-Busch, Frito
Lay, Central Freight Lines, Matheson Trucking and other
leading global logistics and transportation companies.
"We are deploying the future of student transportation,
electrifying our fleet and providing cleaner, safer rides for
students so they arrive at school ready to learn. I am immensely
proud of the great work of our electrification team," said First
Student Chief Executive Officer and President John Kenning. "As this award demonstrates, First
Student is leading the way in the electrification of yellow school
buses in North America."
"This prestigious recognition validates all the hard work First
Student has put into electrifying our school bus fleet and sets a
new standard of excellence for our team to meet and exceed in the
future," said Kevin Matthews. "Every
diesel school bus we transition to electric provides tangible
health and environmental benefits to the students and communities
we serve. We are grateful to Advance Clean Transportation and the
judging panel for recognizing a student transportation fleet as a
leader and shining a light on the tremendous work we are doing
modernizing America's school buses. I also want to acknowledge the
First Student electrification team who has worked tireless on our
electrification programs. Not only are we the leading student
transportation company, but we are also one of the leading
electrification companies in the entire transportation
industry."
The annual ACT Expo is widely regarded as North America's largest advanced clean vehicle
technology gathering. Both John
Kenning and Kevin Matthews
will participate in prominent thought leadership sessions at this
year's event. Kenning will take part in the mainstage panel
session, Energy Transition Executive Roundtable: Navigating the New
Fuel Frontier, which will explore hidden opportunities in
electrification. Matthews will join the breakout session, Achieving
School Bus Fleet Electrification, where he will share First
Student's approach to the EV transition. He will also co-moderate
sessions for ACT EXPO's Fleet Operator Sessions.
First Student has successfully deployed more than 350 electric
buses across North America in
pursuit of its goal to transition 30,000 diesel vehicles to
electric by 2035. The electric buses rolled out to date have
reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 4,935 tons.
Accelerating the company's efforts is $274 million in federal, state and utility
funding that will electrify 1,422 buses in 74 school districts. Of
that, $178.4 million in funding was
secured through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)
Clean School Bus Program, the most of any private school
transportation provider. The funds will enable the company to
deploy 526 electric school buses in 49 school districts across the
U.S. First Student worked closely with participating school
districts to navigate the EPA's intensive application process and
modernize their power infrastructures to support the new electric
school buses.
B-ROLL/RESOURCES: Watch a video that showcases First
Student's electric school bus fleet.
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 44,500 buses. For more
information, visit firststudentinc.com.
CONTACT
Jen
Biddinger
513.362.4600
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SOURCE First Student