On August 27, 2024, the American modern school bus company Zum held a press conference at their base in Oakland to officially showcase their newly developed fleet of 74 all-electric school buses. These buses are set to be put into use for the 2024-2025 school year, making them the first batch of all-electric school buses in the United States and providing an eco-friendly transportation solution for students in the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD).
The fleet of all-electric school buses utilizes Vehicle to Grid (V2G) bidirectional charging technology, meaning the buses can not only charge from the grid but also feed back a significant amount of energy to the grid when idle. Zum has deployed 74 electric school buses in Oakland, each equipped with bidirectional chargers managed through Artificial Intelligence (AI) Virtual Power Plants (VPP). This all-electric fleet will achieve decarbonization of student transportation while providing 2.1 gigawatt-hours of energy to the California grid annually.
“This marks an exciting milestone in student transportation,” said Zum founder and CEO Ritu Narayan. “The conversion of school buses to all-electric in the Oakland Unified School District signifies that sustainable solutions are here – and can benefit the entire community. Electric school buses with vehicle-to-grid capabilities create a cleaner mode of transportation and can feed unused energy back into the grid. This is a win-win for children, families, schools, and drivers.”
Student transportation is America’s largest public transportation system, transporting 27 million students daily. Currently, over 90% of the 500,000 school buses in the U.S. run on carbon-based fuels, releasing over 8.4 million tons of greenhouse gases annually, exposing students and communities to harmful emissions. These electric school buses will reduce 25,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases, making a significant impact on the community.
“The Oakland Unified School District is proud to lead the way in providing safe and sustainable student transportation,” said OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. “This achievement is a milestone as air pollution in Oakland is particularly severe, with high rates of respiratory diseases like asthma. Zum’s electric school buses offer our students quieter and cleaner transportation to and from school, helping them succeed in the classroom while ensuring reduced air pollution for the entire Oakland community.”
To power the 74 bi-directional electric vehicle chargers, Zum closely collaborated with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to upgrade substantial infrastructure and install additional equipment. PG&E provided a record-breaking 2.7 megawatts of load to the electric vehicle facilities, enabling the project to be completed a year ahead of schedule.
“Electric vehicles can reduce major sources of pollution and provide flexible power supply that benefits all customers,” said PG&E CEO Patti Poppe. “Our partnership with Zum and the Oakland Unified School District sets an example for schools across California and the nation to better serve students, local communities, and ultimately benefit our planet.”
In addition to Zum, the partners for these electric school buses include the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the Heavy-Duty Vehicle Incentive Program (HVIP) vouchers, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), and the Clean Mobility Options (CMO) Program.
Zum’s goal is to create a fleet of 10,000 bi-directional electric school buses, providing 300 gigawatt-hours of energy to local grids annually. Zum plans to expand the use of all-electric school buses nationwide in the coming years.
Zum is a modern transportation company that is revolutionizing America’s largest public transportation system – the school transportation system. Currently, the company offers a full range of modern transportation solutions to campuses in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Utah, and Virginia, rapidly expanding nationwide. Recognized globally for its innovative transportation and energy services, Zum is making a significant impact.