#United States #Cincinnati #First Student #First Charge #Edison Award

First Student's First Charge Solution Receives the 2025 Edison Award

In an outstanding achievement, First Student, the nation's leading school transportation provider, has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Edison Award in the category of Scalable Clean Transportation Energy for its innovative First Charge solution. This recognition underscores First Student's active commitment to enhancing transportation solutions that not only elevate efficiency but also cater to sustainable practices within the industry.

Unveiling First Charge

The First Charge solution is a modular charging infrastructure specifically designed to tackle common operational challenges associated with electric school buses and medium to heavy-duty vehicles. The patent-pending designs focus on flexibility and scalability, significantly streamlining the installation process and reducing associated costs by up to 30%.

First Charge stands out due to its above-ground setup, which eliminates some of the rigorous infrastructural challenges that come with trenching and digging, enabling school districts to transition more smoothly to electric vehicle fleets. With the existing footprint of over 500 operational locations, this innovative solution is created to grow with customer needs, allowing districts the option to begin small and scale as their confidence and understanding of electric bus operations increases.

A Commitment to Clean and Efficient Transportation

Kevin Matthews, the Head of Electrification at First Student, expressed the company’s joy over this recognition by saying, "We are honored to be recognized by the Edison Awards for our industry-leading First Charge solution. Electrifying school buses is indispensable for protecting children's health, enhancing safety, and ensuring a sustainable future."

First Charge is now available on a subscription basis to all school districts and fleet operators looking to electrify their transportation solutions. The system enables seamless fleet electrification while prioritizing health and environmental sustainability.

This first-of-its-kind V2X (vehicle-to-everything) solution is paving the way for an industry-wide transformation, enabling comprehensive electrification across operations. With 450 electric school buses already deployed, First Student is demonstrating a strong commitment to a cleaner future.

Overcoming Barriers in Fleet Electrification

A crucial barrier to the adoption of electric buses has been the significant construction costs involved in establishing charging infrastructure. First Charge aims to redefine these norms by cutting construction costs by an impressive 30%, thereby accelerating the deployment timeline. This adaptability allows school districts and fleet managers to transition to electrified transport alternatives much more efficiently than before.

The Edison Awards™ are highly regarded awards that celebrate the best in innovation, highlighting those whose work produces significant changes in products and services aimed at a sustainable future. The award not only recognizes the innovative technology developed by First Student but also emphasizes the company’s role in paving the way towards a greener and more sustainable transportation sector.

About First Student

First Student is distinguished as the primary provider of K-12 transportation solutions, diligently working every day to ensure that 5.5 million students across North America have the safest and most reliable ride to school. The company boasts a significant milestone, gearing up to complete 1 billion student trips in the 2024-25 school year. Its recognition as one of Fast Company’s 2025 Most Innovative Companies further highlights First Student’s broad range of services.

These include not just home-to-school transportation but special needs transport, fleet electrification, route optimization, and maintenance and charter services.

Understanding that transportation is about more than just logistics, First Student embodies a focus on creating welcoming environments within its 45,000 buses, intent on enriching the overall transportation experience for students and their families. By continuously improving and adapting services, First Student ensures that every child arrives at school ready to realize their utmost potential.

For more information about First Student and its innovative solutions, interested parties can reach out to Jen Biddinger at 513.362.4600.