Little Rock School District EV Buses, charging managed by The Mobility House. Photo credit: The Mobility House, by Jeff Sternisha
Little Rock School District (LRSD) has taken a bold step toward cleaner, more reliable student transportation with the launch of its new electric bus fleet and state-of-the-art charging facility. Led by the district’s vision for improving student health, air quality, and operational efficiency, LRSD partnered with project developer Entegrity Energy Partners and charging technology provider The Mobility House to deliver an innovative, resilient charging system that will keep buses running even during power outages.
The event, held on Aug. 7 at the district’s bus yard, marked the commissioning of the charging infrastructure designed and implemented by Entegrity Energy Partners, with technology support from The Mobility House.
"This is more than just adding new buses—it’s about doing what’s right for our kids and our community. Every mile these buses travel means less pollution, cleaner air, and a stronger commitment to the well-being of our students and our neighborhoods. We’re proud to lead this work alongside dedicated partners who share our vision."
Dr. Jermall D. Wright, Superintendent,
Little Rock School District
"With this investment, Little Rock School District has established itself as a national leader in the future of student transportation"
Gregor Hintler, CEO,
The Mobility House North America
The new charging installation features a unique technological solution that will provide a backup power supply to keep buses running during grid disruptions. In the event of an outage, chargers will automatically be switched to run on the backup generator. The Mobility House’s ChargePilot® charge management system will immediately revise the charging optimization to maintain vehicle readiness and keep total charging load within the capacity of the generator, safely continuing charging of electric buses on the backup system. This is the first application of this type of system for a school bus fleet in North America.
The project was funded through a combination of federal and district resources. The Little Rock School District obtained a $9,875,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program to purchase the 25 electric buses. The district also provided funding to purchase the DC fast chargers and install the charging system needed to operate the new fleet.
"These 25 buses will primarily serve special needs students in the Little Rock School District. Most of the air pollutants children breathe come from diesel buses, and this transition connects us to a cleaner grid. This project shows that with strategic planning, school districts can dramatically improve health, sustainability, and reliability while staying fiscally responsible — in this case, saving LRSD more than $100,000 every year in fuel costs. LRSD’s leadership is proof of what’s possible."
Parker Higgs, Arkansas Director,
Entegrity Energy Partners
Little Rock School District unveils EV Buses, charging managed by The Mobility House. Photo credit: The Mobility House, by Jeff Sternisha
The new Blue Bird Vision electric buses boast a 130-mile range, 69-passenger capacity, and the ability to recharge in just two hours. Now up and running, the buses will remove the equivalent emissions of nearly 3,000 passenger cars from the road each year, while significantly lowering operating costs for the district.
Entegrity and The Mobility House will commission a second electric school bus charging project together later this month, at Farmington Public Schools.
About The Mobility House
The Mobility House is dedicated to shaping a zero-emissions future in energy and mobility. The company provides resilient charging technology that is reliable and flexible, ensuring drivers can benefit from zero emissions and zero cost charging. By integrating flexible charging with energy systems, The Mobility House helps stabilize the grid with clean energy. The company currently manages more than 2,500 EV fleet charging facilities globally, charges hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles, and manages energy storage of more than 100 MWh.
About Entegrity Partners
Founded in 2007 in Little Rock, Entegrity is an energy services, sustainability, and solar development company specializing in the implementation of energy conservation and renewable energy projects. Entegrity combines consulting experience with construction expertise, allowing our clients to engage just one company to implement turnkey energy projects. For more information visit www.entegritypartners.com.
Little Rock School District EV Buses, charging managed by The Mobility House. Photo credit: The Mobility House, by Jeff Sternisha