Olympics-LA28 selects Highland to supply 500 electric school buses for Games

By Rory Carroll

LOS ANGELES, Sept 29 (Reuters) - LA28 on Monday said it has chosen Highland Electric Fleets as the official electric school bus provider for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, a partnership that will deploy 500 zero-emission buses to support transport operations.

Rather than acquiring new vehicles, LA28 plans to repurpose yellow electric school buses from local districts to move accredited stakeholders during the Games, an approach the organizers say will cut emissions and costs.

Highland will join the LA28 transport team to run what the partners described as a first-of-its-kind electric school bus program for the Games.

The company will oversee operations including daily logistics and charging, depot management and on-site technical support across venues throughout the event.

"Highland Electric Fleets is honored to partner with LA28 to deliver one of the largest deployments of electric school buses ever assembled for a global sporting event," said Highland CEO Duncan McIntyre.

"Together, we're proving that electrification can meet the demands of the biggest stage in sports while delivering zero-emission transportation solutions."

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the partnership an example of using existing resources to reduce emissions and leave a "lasting impact for Angelenos."

Bass has referred to the Los Angeles Olympics as a "no-car" Games and will encourage fans to use public transportation to get around the sprawling city.

LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said welcoming Highland was "an incredible step in the operational execution of the 2028 Games."

LA28 has pledged to minimize the environmental footprint of Games operations. The event plans to rely on existing Southern California venues and not build new permanent infrastructure.

Highland Electric Fleets, founded in 2019, provides electrification-as-a-service for school districts and other fleets.

The company says it led the first commercial vehicle-to-grid program using electric school buses and operates the largest such project in the United States.