Commercial, Distributed Energy Resources, GHG Emissions  -  January 9, 2024

Oakland Unified School District Adds Electric School Buses

The Oakland Unified School District will add several electric school buses to its fleet.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced that Zūm, a student transportation company partnering with school districts to provide safe and sustainable service, will receive over $26 million through the EPA's first Clean School Bus Program Grants Competition.

"This is an exciting milestone in our journey to transition Oakland's entire school bus fleet to 100% electric," said Kim Raney, Transportation Director, Oakland Unified School District, in a statement.  "We appreciate the work being done by local, state and federal policy makers to support the work being done at the local level and commend our partners at Zūm for driving this initiative forward to ensure a healthier, more sustainable experience for the parents and students that we serve."

The funding will help Zūm transition its fleet of school buses to 100% electric school buses. 

Thousands of schools across the country have partnered with Zūm for school transportation, including Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest district in the country; San Francisco Unified School District; Seattle Public Schools; Howard County Public Schools; Oakland Unified School District; and Metro Nashville Public Schools.

The grant will also accelerate the expansion of Zūm's AI-driven technology platform, a key tool in the company's effort to fully decarbonize the school bus industry.