Oakland Leads U.S. with 100% Electric School Bus Fleet
Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) has become the first primary school district in the United States to fully transition to an all-electric school bus fleet, thanks to Zūm, a leader in modern student transportation. The historic move introduces groundbreaking vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology that allows the buses to return energy to the grid when unused.
Zūm's all-electric Fleet: A sustainable solution for Oakland
Zūm is deploying a fleet of 74 electric school buses in Oakland, each equipped with a bidirectional charger managed via an AI-enabled Virtual Power Plant (VPP).
The innovative approach will decarbonise student transportation, eliminating 25,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases annually. Additionally, the V2G technology will send an estimated 2.1 gigawatt-hours of energy back to the grid each year.
Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO of Zūm, states:
"Today marks an exciting milestone in student transportation."
"By converting Oakland Unified school bus fleet to 100% electric, we demonstrate that sustainability solutions can positively impact an entire community. Electric school buses with V2G capability create cleaner transportation and send untapped energy back to the grid. It's a win-win for children, families, schools and drivers."
A healthier ride for Oakland students
The transition to an all-electric school bus fleet is particularly significant for Oakland, where communities have long been affected by high rates of air pollution, asthma and other respiratory ailments.
Dr Kyla Johnson-Trammell, Superintendent, OUSD highlighted the benefits:
"This is a landmark achievement, especially in Oakland, where there is a disproportionate impact on families' exposure to air pollution. Zūm's electric school buses provide our students quieter, cleaner rides to and from school, giving them a better chance at success in the classroom while ensuring the District is doing its part to cut down on air pollution to benefit all Oakland residents."
Collaboration and innovation drive electrification
The deployment of the all-electric fleet in Oakland was made possible through a collaborative effort with several partners, including Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). PG&E worked closely with Zūm to complete extensive infrastructure upgrades, delivering 2.7 megawatts of load to Zūm's Oakland EV-ready facility in record time, enabling project deployment a year ahead of schedule.
"Converting to electric transportation reduces emissions and offers a flexible power supply that benefits all customers," said. "Our partnership with Zūm and Oakland Unified on this fully electric school bus fleet is a blueprint for schools across California and the nation to serve better our students, local communities and, ultimately, our planet."
Support for Clean School Buses
Critical support for electrifying the OUSD fleet came from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean School Bus program, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the Heavy Vehicle Incentive Program (HVIP), the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and the Clean Mobility Options (CMO) programs.
Cheree Peterson, EPA Pacific Southwest Deputy Regional Administrator, adds:
"With over US$35m in funding for California school districts, the EPA is proud to advance the rollout of electric school buses here in Oakland and across our state, helping create a future where our children can breathe cleaner air."
The future of student transportation
Zūm has set an ambitious goal of electrifying 10,000 bidirectional school buses nationwide, which could supply up to 300-gigawatt hours of energy to local power grids each year.
With plans to deploy 100% electric fleets nationwide in the coming years, Zūm is leading a transformative effort to create cleaner, safer and more efficient student transportation for future generations.
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