“LA28 to Deploy 500 Electric School Buses as Sustainable Transport Fleet for 2028 Olympic Games”

The Yellow Bus Goes Green: LA’s Electric Leap Toward the 2028 Olympics

By  | Putiton News

LOS ANGELES — Beneath the morning sun in Los Angeles, a symbol of American everyday life — the yellow school bus — is being reimagined for the world stage.

On Monday, Mayor Karen Bass joined representatives from LA28 and Highland Electric Fleets to announce a bold plan to use electric school buses as part of the city’s transportation network for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The initiative, both practical and symbolic, brings a fresh charge to the city’s vision for sustainability.

“This partnership is a perfect example of what the 2028 Games are about — bringing together existing resources and demonstrating sustainable solutions while leaving a lasting impact for Angelenos,” said Mayor Bass.

The idea is deceptively simple. Each summer, hundreds of school buses sit idle across Los Angeles as students head on vacation. Rather than let them rest in parking lots, the city will deploy 500 of those same buses — upgraded, all-electric, and emission-free — to shuttle athletes, officials, and staff between Olympic venues.

The project is part of LA28’s larger goal to stage a low-impact, resource-smart Games, built on existing infrastructure rather than costly new construction. Highland Electric Fleets, a leader in electric school bus operations, will oversee fleet logistics and ensure every bus stays charged and road-ready during the Games.

“Rather than investing in costly new equipment, LA28 will rely on one of the most iconic vehicles in America: the yellow school bus, reimagined as a zero-emission, American-manufactured solution,” LA28 said in a statement.

For Highland’s CEO Duncan McIntyre, this collaboration goes beyond logistics — it’s a statement of intent.

“Together, we’re proving that electrification can meet the demands of the biggest stage in sports while delivering zero-emission transportation solutions and inspiring ways of thinking differently around transportation and infrastructure.”

The 2028 Summer Olympics, running from July 14 to July 30, and the Paralympic Games, from August 15 to August 27, will mark Los Angeles’ third turn hosting — but its first as a city openly defined by its climate ambitions.

In a way, this plan captures the spirit of LA itself: resourceful, creative, and forward-looking. The yellow bus, long a symbol of routine and reliability, will soon carry a new message — that even the most familiar vehicles can drive transformation.

When the Games arrive, and the electric hum of those buses fills the streets, Los Angeles won’t just be hosting the Olympics — it’ll be showing the world what the future of urban transportation looks like.