Highland Electric Fleets, the leading provider of school bus fleet Electrification-as-a-Service in North America, announced its partnership with Manassas City Public Schools to install six chargers and deploy 12 electric school buses to the district over a three-year period. As Highland's first electric school bus deployment in Virginia, this project will support the City of Manassas' goals to reduce 50% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and 80% by 2050 as part of the city's sustainability plan.
"The purchase of the electric buses supports our efforts towards a greener, more eco-friendly school transportation system," said Andy Hawkins, Executive Director of Finance & Operations at Manassas City Public Schools. "We look forward to monitoring the progress and impact of this initiative as we work with Highland to reduce our carbon footprint."
As nationwide efforts to decarbonize transportation encourage schools to replace their diesel fleets, Manassas City Public Schools selected Highland as the electrification solution provider to upgrade their school buses to electric. The district secured three buses for the current school year and will add three more next school year. An additional six buses will be added in 2025. This partnership will reduce carbon emissions in the community and provide Manassas City Public Schools' students with quiet, cleaner transportation.
Highland's unique model of combining private capital with public funding removes the upfront cost of upgrading to electric, making it easier and more affordable for school districts to transition their fleets to electric. As the district's electrification partner, Highland procures the buses and charging equipment, electrifies the bus depot, trains bus drivers and mechanics, manages charging, and offers a charge-readiness guarantee for the duration of the 15-year contract – all for one fixed price that often equates to less than traditional diesel costs.
"Highland is excited about this partnership which brings equitable and zero-emission transportation to school districts in Virginia and nationwide," said Duncan McIntyre, CEO and Founder of Highland Electric Fleets. "We applaud the City of Manassas for their commitment to furthering city-wide sustainability plans, and we look forward to supporting Manassas City Public Schools as they achieve their long-term sustainability goals."
