First Student has selected Bechtel to design and build charging stations for one of the student transportation provider's fleet electrification projects in the United States. The two companies intend to partner on more electric vehicle deployments in the future, with Bechtel supplying engineering, procurement, and construction services.
"Bechtel provides electric vehicle charging infrastructure to fleet customers so they can focus on their core business, whether it is safely moving students or delivering packages," said Catherine Hunt Ryan, president of manufacturing and technology business. "Vehicle fleet operators are instrumental in the electric vehicle transition. Bechtel will help First Student advance their electrification goals by being a one-stop partner through design and build."
According to First Student, in addition to environmental benefits, electric school buses are more efficient and require less maintenance.
"First Student is leading the way in school bus electrification, and we look forward to working with Bechtel to drive more change," said First Student Head of Electrification Kevin L. Matthews. "Thousands of our students are already benefiting from riding emissions-free school buses as part of our commitment to create a safer, cleaner, and quieter ride to school. First Student is on track to convert 30,000 of our buses to electric by 2035, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and positively impacting the health and well-being of the communities we serve."
Bechtel provides a range of services in the electrification market, including feasibility studies, site selection, front-end engineering design, procurement services, construction management, and project management.
"Bechtel offers predictable project outcomes across the electric vehicle value chain," said Justin Britt, general manager for electric vehicles at Bechtel. "Building a future of vehicle electrification means investing in infrastructure today in everything from raw material extraction, processing plants, battery component manufacturing, final assembly, charging stations, and recycling."
Bechtel's portfolio of sustainability projects includes electrifying transportation systems, expanding renewables, transitioning from coal to gas, improving energy efficiencies, decarbonizing existing infrastructure, deploying zero-emission nuclear energy, switching to zero-emission hydrogen fuel, and generating energy storage solutions.
