LOS ANGELES, Calif. – HopSkipDrive, the leading technology company solving complex transportation challenges where there is a heightened need for safety, equity, and care, ended the year with lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and better electric vehicle mileage in California than the state’s 2023 targets, as set forth under California’s Clean Miles Standard.
These milestones, based on ride data for the more than 300 state school districts, nonprofits and government agencies supported by HopSkipDrive through December 2023, mark an improvement from what was recorded in 2022.
● Miles driven by electric vehicles in 2023 made up 8 percent of miles traveled by HopSkipDrive CareDrivers in California, vastly exceeding by 400 percent the state’s 2023 target of 2 percent.
● Total 2023 California GHG emissions by HopSkipDrive CareDrivers in California is 241 grams of CO2 per passenger mile, less than the state’s 2023 target of 252 grams of CO2 per passenger mile.
“There’s a lot on our state’s plate to achieve climate goals, and we’re pleased to share our results now to get the ball rolling,” said Joanna McFarland, CEO and co-founder of HopSkipDrive. “Organizations serving kids and educators must be transparent with their safety and sustainability efforts and we expect to see others join us in publishing relevant data. We look forward to sharing even more insight in the coming months.”
Through partnerships with school districts, government agencies and nonprofits, HopSkipDrive helps to fill gaps and facilitate the transportation of children, the elderly, or others who need extra care and may not be served well by existing options.
This announcement comes ahead of 2024 California Air Resources Board (CARB) reporting deadlines mandated by the Clean Miles Standard and Incentive Program, which was passed in 2018 to implement requirements for Transportation Network Companies in the state to work towards a reduction in GHG emissions from transportation.
Across the country, safe, reliable rides through HopSkipDrive are one of the largest sources of clean school transportation. Almost 40 percent (36%) of California vehicles that completed a ride on the HopSkipDrive platform in 2023 were electric, hybrid or fuel cell. This means that the HopSkipDrive’s CareDriver network offers the largest number of green vehicles in California school transportation and one of the biggest resources for reducing overall miles driven and emissions in school transportation, creating a greener state.
This new data means that supplementing existing options, including electric buses, with HopSkipDrive rides and therefore taking a multimodal approach to student transportation, is one of the most powerful and effective ways to make meaningful, significant progress towards achieving sustainability goals.
Several different ongoing HopSkipDrive initiatives support sustainability efforts, including Strategic Routing and SmartPooling.
Strategic Routing, first launched in fall 2023, is HopSkipDrive’s revolutionary new technology offering for student transportation planning that uses proprietary AI and machine learning technology to analyze a school district’s complete transportation landscape, including the student base and available vehicles, as well as district-specific needs and preferences to deliver customized routing options, scenario plans, and recommendations to meet each district’s unique goals. Strategic Routing can identify which vehicle and route changes can have a specific and measurable impact on carbon emissions, helping transportation teams understand their options and reach environmental goals. In fact, Strategic Routing can take into account multiple priorities, such as carbon emission reductions, staffing, and budget to align environmental targets with operational realities.
SmartPooling can automatically match new HopSkipDrive Riders with existing HopSkipDrive rides to increase car occupancy and reduce the cost and carbon footprint of every HopSkipDrive ride, helping districts select the best ride for their students, and supporting shared goals of reducing transportation cost and climate impact.
“While we are excited by the growing use of electric school buses and other ideas, we know there’s more we can all do to improve the environmental footprint for transportation,” McFarland said. “More than six million K-12 students attend school in the state and how they get to and from school, as well as to after school activities, enrichment and other locations throughout the day merits transparent reporting. As a reminder, the broader transportation sector accounts for about half of California’s greenhouse gas emissions.”
About HopSkipDrive:
HopSkipDrive is a technology company that solves complex transportation challenges where there is a heightened need for safety, equity, and care. HopSkipDrive’s marketplace arranges care-centered transportation across 13 states and Washington, DC, supplementing other transportation options by connecting kids, older adults, or anyone needing extra support, to highly vetted caregivers on wheels, such as grandparents, babysitters, and nurses. HopSkipDrive also builds software and offers advisory services that solve the biggest transportation challenges facing schools and school districts around the country, including budget cuts, bus driver shortages, and reaching climate goals. HopSkipDrive partners with more than 600 school districts, government agencies, and nonprofits. More than three million rides over 46 million miles have been completed through HopSkipDrive since the company was founded in 2014 by three working mothers.
