Highland Electric Fleets to power Los Angeles 2028 Olympics with 500 zero emission school buses

Highland Electric Fleets will provide 500 zero-emission school buses for the 2028 Olympic games to be held in Los Angeles. The vehicles, normally idle during the summer months, will be repurposed to transport accredited stakeholders across venues in Los Angeles.

The initiative, presented at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum with Mayor Karen Bass, LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover, and Highland CEO Duncan McIntyre, is described as a first-of-its-kind program for a global sporting event. Rather than procuring new equipment, LA28 will rely on one of the most iconic U.S. vehicles.

As of end 2024, there were over 13,759 electric school buses committed by 1,572 school districts and fleet operators (4,500 in 2024 only) in the USA, according to data from the Electric School Bus Data Dashboard available on the website of the Electric School Bus Initiative.

Highland Electric Fleets to provide e-buses for Los Angeles Olympics

During the Games, Highland Electric Fleets will join the LA28 transport team, overseeing daily logistics, charging operations, depot activity, and on-site technical support to ensure continuity of service across venues. The partnership is framed as both a logistical solution and a sustainability milestone, aligning with Los Angeles’ broader climate and electrification agenda.

Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Massachusetts, Highland Electric Fleets is a U.S.-based provider of Electrification-as-a-Service (EaaS) for school districts, municipalities, and fleet operators. The company offers turnkey solutions including bus and charger procurement, depot electrification, charging management, and maintenance support. Highland states it has projects across more than 30 U.S. states and Canada. Its portfolio includes over 900 contracted electric vehicles.

“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. Together, we’re proving that electrification can meet the demands of the biggest stage in sports while delivering zero-emission transportation solutions and inspiring ways of thinking differently around transportation and infrastructure”, states Duncan McIntyre, CEO of Highland Electric Fleet

“This partnership is a perfect example of what the 2028 Games are about – bringing together existing resources and demonstrating sustainable solutions while leaving a lasting impact for Angelenos. I want to thank Highland Electric Fleets and LA28 for their continued collaboration and efforts to deliver a successful and sustainable Games”, adds Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles

“Welcoming Highland is an incredible step in the operational execution of the 2028 Games. We’re thrilled to collaborate with a company that shares our innovative approach to delivering mission-critical Games services”, in the words of Reynold Hoover, CEO of LA28