First Student, the country's largest contractor, announced today that it has surpassed 5 million miles driven in its electric school buses. 

This milestone comes just months after reaching the 4 million mile mark. Next up? First Student expects to hit 6 million in the next few months.

This means that First Student’s electric school buses have traveled the equivalent of more than 10,000 cross-country trips across the U.S., which they tout is more than any other transportation provider. 

The progress is largely credited to First Charge, First Student’s above-ground EV charging solution. First Charge eliminates the need for extensive trenching, reducing installation costs, and enabling rapid deployment even in cold-weather climates.

“Surpassing 5 million electric miles is another incredible milestone for our team and the communities we serve,” said First Student CEO John Kenning. “At First Student, we hold ourselves to the highest standards, embracing innovation and teamwork to drive meaningful progress. Electrification is key to our mission of providing the safest, cleanest, and most efficient transportation for students. With First Charge, we are making school bus electrification more accessible, accelerating the transition to a sustainable future, and ensuring children experience quieter and healthier rides to school.”

First Student won the Green Product of the Year from BIG Awards for Business and the 2025 Edison Award for scalable clean transportation energy.