Boston Public Schools is adding another major block of depot-scale DC fast chargers as it pushes toward a fully electric bus fleet – a reminder that some of the biggest EV charging builds are happening far from highway rest stops.
Orion Energy Systems says it’s installing 105 DC fast chargers at the district’s Freeport Bus Yard under a $4 million contract with Boston Public Schools. The project is being handled by Orion’s Voltrek division and is one of the larger single-site school bus charging installations in the region.
The chargers are part of Boston’s effort to electrify 100% of its roughly 750 school buses – a program the district describes as the largest school bus electrification initiative in the Northeast. Orion and Voltrek have worked with Boston Public Schools on multiple projects tied to that transition, making the district one of the company’s biggest customers.
At the Freeport Bus Yard, the chargers will use an above-ground mounting approach that relies on Jersey barriers rather than traditional trenching. It’s a setup that’s increasingly common for large bus and fleet depots, where speed, cost control, and service access often matter more than aesthetics. Orion has used the same setup on other Boston school bus charging projects, a design that can speed installation and reduce site disruption.
Boston isn’t the only school system in the region working with Orion and Voltrek. The company is involved in several fleet electrification projects across the Northeast, including municipal deployments and electric van charging for school districts. One recent example is a 13-charger installation for the Lower Pioneer Valley School Educational Cooperative serving the greater Springfield, Massachusetts, area.
That distinction matters as the charging market matures. Public DC fast charging still gets most of the attention, yet depot charging for buses, delivery vans, and municipal fleets is quietly becoming one of the most capital-intensive segments of the market.
Paren research is predicting 8% growth in the US EV charging market in 2026.
Read more: Boston kicks off rollout of 750 electric school buses with first of the fleet transporting students
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