Delivering the nation's largest school district-led EV bus depot

ABM partnered with the nation’s second-largest school district to deliver the largest school district-led electric bus charging deployment in U.S. history. By combining in-house expertise and partnerships with architects and engineers, ABM designed and will fully maintain a redundancy-layered, EV fleet charging depot, generating significant savings.

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Quick Stats

• Largest school district-led EV fleet electrification in U.S.
• High uptime requirement supported by OEM guarantee
• Achieved 24% savings on installation

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Challenge

The district faced the complex task of transforming a bus yard—previously operating with 60% internal combustion engine (ICE) and 40% compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles—into an advanced, EV fleet charging depot. The project required meeting a high uptime requirement, integrating vehicle-to-grid (V2G) readiness, minimizing installation costs, and accommodating intricate site and construction constraints. The district also needed a partner capable of ensuring long-term operational reliability amid a competitive field of more than 30 applicants

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Solution

ABM delivered a comprehensive redesign of the bus yard, shifting the traffic flow from east-west to north-south. This change optimized the charger layout, improved bus movement, and enabled a more efficient electrical design. The solution included:

• Installation of new charging infrastructure, commissioned and activated for immediate use.
• Deployment of mobile charging units to provide redundancy and maintain charging uptime.
• Implementation of the ABM EV OS Charge Management System (CMS), enabling remote monitoring, load control, and integration with mobile chargers for seamless operations.
• A hybrid operations and maintenance model, combining daily on-site personnel with remote monitoring for proactive support.
• Clear Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to ensure high-level technical support and rapid response.
• Coordination with local contractor Morillo Construction for optimized site execution.

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Benefits and outcomes

• Reduced installation costs by an estimated 24%, outperforming more than 30 competitors through innovative site redesign and project management.
• Achieved a high uptime service requirement, ensuring reliable bus operations for the district’s fleet.
• Optimized spatial and electrical configuration, enabling cost-effective expansion and efficient power usage.
• Delivered a microgrid-ready site with future vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities, positioning the district for long-term resilience and potential revenue opportunities.
• Established a five-year operations and maintenance contract, ensuring ongoing performance and peace of mind for district stakeholders.

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“We reconfigured the yard so buses could flow north to south. That change alone enabled significant gains in efficiency and cost savings, which ultimately won us the project.”

— Robb Lichtman, Senior business development manager of eMobility at ABM

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ABM's fleet electrification delivers reliable, future-proof EV infrastructure for fleets of any size.
To learn how ABM can help your organization achieve its electrification goals, contact our team for a custom assessment at ABM.com/evfleets or 866.624.1520.