Highland Electric Fleets Delivers EaaS Solution for 14-Bus EV Deployment in Washington School Districts

New updates have been reported about Highland Electric Fleets.

Highland Electric Fleets has implemented its Electrification-as-a-Service model to support the deployment of 14 electric school buses for the KWRL Transportation Cooperative in southwest Washington, positioning the company at the center of one of the region’s more significant school fleet transitions. Serving four districts—Kalama, Woodland, Ridgefield, and La Center—the Thomas Built Jouley buses will run out of depots in Woodland and Ridgefield, supported by 16 on-site 30 kW chargers and expected to cover roughly 700 miles daily while transporting up to 1,200 students. Highland’s role spans coordination of vehicles and charging infrastructure as well as ongoing fleet support, effectively acting as the turnkey electrification partner and reducing operational complexity for the participating districts.

The project underscores Highland’s strategy to scale its subscription-style electrification model by leveraging public funding and utility partnerships to de-risk adoption for customers. The deployment is backed by a multi-source capital stack: $2.8 million from the EPA’s Clean School Bus Rebate Program (Round 3), nearly $3 million from the Washington Department of Ecology for vehicles and infrastructure, and $300,000 in infrastructure support from Clark Public Utilities for the Ridgefield depot. Woodland Public Schools and KWRL expect about $400,000 in operational savings over time, including an estimated $200,000 in annual fuel and maintenance reductions, which reinforces the economic case underpinning Highland’s offering. CEO Duncan McIntyre highlighted the health and quality-of-ride benefits from removing diesel exhaust and noise from routes, signaling continued emphasis on student health and community impact as commercial drivers for adoption. This project expands Highland’s footprint in the Pacific Northwest and provides a reference model for similar multi-district, cooperative deployments that could further accelerate demand for its EaaS platform across North American school transportation markets.