Pontiac: America’s Electrification Gridlock Test Case. School District Turns to L-Charge Off-Grid Charging to Beat Delay

Pontiac EV bus being charged by L-Charge Unit

Pontiac EV bus being charged by L-Charge Unit

Pontiac overcame grid delays using L-Charge’s off-grid chargers, becoming Michigan’s first all-electric school bus fleet and a model for U.S. electrification.

PONTIAC, MI, UNITED STATES, November 5, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Federal funding is fuelling an unprecedented boom in electric school buses across the U.S. But there’s a catch: in many districts, the buses arrive long before the grid is ready to charge them. Lengthy utility and construction upgrades, often stretching years, have left school districts nationwide with new electric vehicles but no way to put them on the road.

In Pontiac, Michigan, the district refused to wait. Backed by $15.65 million in federal EPA grants, Pontiac School District became the first district in the state to completely replace its school bus fleet with electric buses – and turned to L-Charge’s off-grid, ultra-fast charging solution. By bypassing grid constraints, L-Charge enabled Pontiac to begin deploying many of its buses, managed by First Student immediately, ensuring federal dollars translated into real results for students and families.

Join the Pontiac School District for a ride on one of their new electric school buses that they have purchased through this federal funding, and learn more about the deployment of a fully electric school bus fleet:

WHAT: Pontiac School District Deploys Electric School Bus Fleet - Public Opening Event
WHEN: Monday, November 24th, 2025 - 11:30 AM EST
WHERE: Fell Center - Facilities Center, Pontiac School District, 650 North Saginaw Street, Pontiac, MI 48342

Pontiac’s 40 new buses will carry more than 4,000 students each day, replacing diesel vehicles that once filled neighborhoods with noise and exhaust. Without off-grid charging, the EV fleet would have sat idle while utility and construction upgrades caught up.
“These buses aren’t parked waiting on the grid – they’re moving students,” said Dr. Kimberly Leverette, Superintendent of the School District of the City of Pontiac. “Every quiet, fume-free ride is a win for student health, mental well-being, and our community’s future.”

Each bus is expected to eliminate nearly 1,700 tons of CO₂ emissions over its lifespan – equivalent to taking 27 cars off the road. All that while reducing student exposure to harmful diesel exhaust, a pollutant linked to asthma and learning difficulties. For Pontiac families, the benefits are tangible: calmer mornings, healthier commutes, and cleaner air.

For L-Charge, Pontiac signals a national breakthrough.
“The real bottleneck isn’t buses – it’s power,” said Stephen Kelley, CEO of L-Charge. “Districts everywhere have buses arriving before the grid is ready. Pontiac proves schools don’t have to wait. And our off-grid charging unlocks electrification now.”

The district’s fleet may also double as a community resource. With bidirectional batteries, the buses can act as “generators on wheels,” providing backup power for phones, medical devices, and critical needs during outages.
As school districts nationwide prepare to deploy thousands of federally funded electric buses, Pontiac offers a blueprint for how to overcome America’s electrification gridlock – by pairing public funding with private innovation to deliver results today.

About Pontiac School District
Pontiac School District serves more than 4,000 students across Oakland County with a mission to provide equitable, innovative, and student-focused education.

About L-Charge
L-Charge delivers off-grid ultra-fast Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) and Power-as-a-Service (PaaS) to fleets, property owners, and municipalities awaiting grid connection. Powered by RNG and other clean fuels, L-Charge’s units provide immediate, scalable power where it’s needed most – helping fleets avoid grid delays, cut emissions, and electrify faster. In the past year alone, the company delivered over 4 million kWh to fleets across the U.S.

Julia Fedorova
L-Charge
+1 669-322-1920
info@l-charge.net
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Pontiac School District EV Charging by L-Charge

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