EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Highland Electric Fleets was selected as the Official Electric School Bus Provider of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Team USA in September 2025. The partnership is operationally distinctive: Highland will repurpose 500 zero-emission electric school buses from local school districts, which sit idle during the summer months, to transport accredited stakeholders across LA28 venues.
This is Highland's first major sports sponsorship and a first-of-its-kind arrangement for any Olympic Games. The partnership directly supports LA28's sustainability commitments and Mayor Karen Bass's goals for a greener Los Angeles. For Highland, a privately held EaaS (Electrification-as-a-Service) company founded in 2019, the Olympic platform provides enormous brand visibility at a moment when the company is scaling nationally, having secured $150 million in new equity financing from Aiga Capital Partners in December 2025.
1. OLYMPIC HISTORY & MARKETING PRESENCE
1.1 Partnership Timeline & Evolution
This is Highland Electric Fleets' first Olympic partnership. The company has no prior Olympic sponsorship history.
The LA28 partnership was announced on September 29, 2025, with Mayor Karen Bass joining LA28 leadership for the announcement. The partnership was framed as both a sustainability initiative and a practical transportation solution that avoids building new fleet infrastructure.
1.2 Milano Cortina 2026
No Milano Cortina 2026 activation identified. Highland Electric Fleets' partnership is exclusively with the LA28 Games, where electric school buses will be repurposed for Games transport during summer break.
1.3 Signature Programs
No prior Olympic programs exist. The LA28 partnership itself is the signature initiative: repurposing existing electric school bus fleets for Games transport represents a novel model that could set precedent for future Olympic organizing committees.
2. LA28-SPECIFIC INITIATIVES
2.1 Announced Plans & Positioning
- 500 Electric School Buses: Buses will be drawn from local school districts already served by Highland, repurposed during summer break for Games transport
- Operational Management: Highland will embed with the LA28 transport team, overseeing daily logistics, charging operations, depot activity, and on-site technical support
- Zero-Emission Transport: All 500 buses are fully electric, contributing to LA28's goal of the most sustainable Games in history
- Legacy Impact: The partnership accelerates electric school bus adoption across Greater Los Angeles, with infrastructure investments (charging depots, grid upgrades) remaining after the Games
LA28 Venue Context: The Games will use 40+ competition venues across the LA metro area, with a dual-venue Opening Ceremony shared between the LA Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium (announced May 2025). LA28 will be the first Games since 1948 built entirely on existing infrastructure. The dispersed venue footprint (from Long Beach to Pasadena to the San Fernando Valley) makes mass transit solutions critical. Highland's 500 electric buses will serve as part of the inter-venue shuttle network, connecting competition sites, transportation hubs, and parking areas across this wide geographic area. The Games dates (July 14-30 for Olympics; August 15-27 for Paralympics) align with summer school break, enabling Highland to redeploy buses from their normal school routes without disruption.
2.2 Regulatory/Market Context
The Inflation Reduction Act and EPA Clean School Bus Program have created significant federal funding for school bus electrification. California's own Advanced Clean Fleets regulation requires all new medium- and heavy-duty vehicles sold in the state to be zero-emission by 2036. Highland's LA28 partnership demonstrates at scale what its core business model delivers: turnkey fleet electrification without upfront capital costs to school districts.
3. EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP & DECISION-MAKERS
3.1 C-Suite Leadership
- Duncan McIntyre: CEO & Co-Founder. Leads the company's strategic direction and growth. Public face of the LA28 partnership announcement.
- Brian Buccella: Chief Commercial Officer (appointed 2023). Brings 20+ years of business strategy, policy, and market development experience. Leads commercial relationships including the LA28 partnership.
3.2 Olympic Partnership Leadership
Not publicly disclosed. Given the company's size (estimated 200-500 employees), Olympic partnership management likely sits with senior leadership directly.
3.3 Board Members with Relevant Experience
Not publicly disclosed. Key investors include Aiga Capital Partners ($150M equity, December 2025), with total funding of approximately $453 million raised to date.
4. AGENCY & CREATIVE PARTNERS
4.1 Agency Model
As a growth-stage company focused on B2B/B2G sales, Highland's marketing infrastructure is not publicly documented. The LA28 partnership represents a significant step into consumer-facing brand awareness.
4.2 Known Agency/Partner Relationships
Not publicly disclosed.
4.3 Notable Creative Executions
The LA28 partnership announcement itself, featuring Mayor Bass and LA28 leadership, served as the company's highest-profile public-facing moment. Highland's marketing has historically been oriented toward school district decision-makers and municipal fleet operators rather than consumer audiences.
5. COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
5.1 Market Share & Competitive Landscape
Highland Electric Fleets operates in the electric school bus electrification-as-a-service market. Key competitors include:
- Blue Bird - Largest U.S. school bus manufacturer, producing both diesel and electric models
- Thomas Built Buses (Daimler) - Major manufacturer with electric Jouley model
- Lion Electric - Pure-play electric bus manufacturer (publicly traded, NYSE: LEV)
- Zum - Student transportation platform with electric fleet ambitions
- Highland's differentiator: EaaS model where school districts pay per mile rather than purchasing buses outright, eliminating upfront capital barriers
5.2 Olympic Sponsorship Differentiation
No competitor holds any Olympic sponsorship. Highland's partnership is category-creating: no prior Olympics has had an electric vehicle fleet provider as a named partner. The practical utility of the partnership (Highland actually operates the transport fleet of 500 zero-emission buses, rather than simply lending its brand) makes this more operational vendor than traditional sponsorship. Honda (LA28 Founding Partner) will provide the official vehicle fleet for passenger vehicles, while Highland handles mass transit. The two companies' roles are complementary within LA28's broader zero-emission transportation strategy.
5.3 Key Brand Messaging
- Electrification without the complexity: Turnkey solution for fleet operators
- Sustainability at scale: Demonstrating electric fleet viability for mass transit
- Community benefit: Cleaner air for children riding school buses daily, with Olympic Games as proof-of-concept showcase
6. KEY METRICS & BUSINESS CONTEXT
6.1 Financial Performance
- Founded: 2019, Beverly, Massachusetts
- Total Funding: Approximately $453 million raised
- Most Recent Round: $150 million equity from Aiga Capital Partners (December 2025)
- Revenue: Not publicly disclosed (private company)
- Business Model: Electrification-as-a-Service (EaaS) with per-mile pricing for school districts
6.2 Olympic Period Performance
Not applicable; LA28 will be Highland's first Games activation. The operational nature of the partnership (running 500 buses daily across venues) will provide a live, large-scale demonstration of the company's core capability.
APPENDIX: KEY SOURCES
Official Sources
- LA28 Newsroom: Highland Electric Fleets Selected as Official Electric School Bus Provider
- USOPC: Highland Electric Fleets Partnership Announcement (September 2025)
- Mayor Karen Bass Office: Partnership Announcement
- Highland Electric Fleets: la28partnership page
Industry Analysis
- Sustainable Bus: Highland Electric Fleets to power LA28 with 500 zero-emission school buses
- School Bus Fleet: Highland Electric to Provide Electric School Buses to 2028 LA Olympics
- LA Downtown News: LA28 Goes Electric
Financial Information
- PR Newswire: Highland Secures $150M from Aiga Capital Partners (December 2025)
- Crunchbase: Highland Electric Fleets Company Profile
End of Research Brief