465 Electric Buses Deployed Across 30 Sites | >99% Charger Uptime | Scalable Model for School Electrification
New York, July 14, 2025
In a bold move toward sustainable school transportation, Ampcontrol has released a new case study showcasing its role in powering the largest electric school bus deployments in North America. Ampcontrol’s intelligent charging software is now helping keep 465 electric school buses running smoothly across 30 sites—achieving over 99% charger uptime and setting a new benchmark for reliability, efficiency, and cost savings.
The story begins with a challenge: how to electrify a massive school bus fleet while keeping operational costs low and uptime high. For First Student, whose fleet of 45,000 buses serves students across the U.S. and Canada, the stakes were high. Transitioning to electric meant not just replacing fuel, but rethinking the entire fueling infrastructure—without disrupting daily school operations.
That’s where Ampcontrol came in
Selected in 2024, Ampcontrol’s platform offers real-time smart charging, aligning vehicle charging with route schedules and grid conditions in real-time. This approach minimizes peak demand charges and ensures that every bus is ready to roll when needed.
“Ampcontrol differentiated in the quality—not just the application they bring to the table, but the overarching wraparound services, the full solution,” said Jason Doiron, Electrification Technology Leader at First Student. “They are consultative in nature, one step ahead of us throughout our journey — and they continue to be.”
“Every fleet is unique, but they all share a common goal when transitioning to electric vehicles: maximizing uptime and minimizing cost.” Said Joachim Lohse, CEO of Ampcontrol. Today, we’re supporting projects across Europe, North America, and beyond—helping logistics companies, bus operators, and ports achieve exactly that. What began seven years ago has now grown into a global effort, with electric operations scaling like never before.”
Beyond software, Ampcontrol has built a reputation for responsive, hands-on support. Its platform integrates with chargers, vehicles, and telematics to give First Student’s operators full control and visibility—along with a user-friendly interface tailored to school bus fleet needs.
The case study not only captures impressive KPIs—>99% charger uptime, significant utility savings—but also provides a scalable blueprint for how school districts and operators can confidently embrace electrification at scale.
Watch the full case study video and learn more here:
https://www.ampcontrol.io/customer-story/first-student-maximizes-energy-savings-and-charger-uptime-for-schools-across-north-america
