Zum and SFUSD Announce Largest Electric School Bus Deployment in the Nation

Zum celebrated Phase One of the electrification effort today at a groundbreaking event attended by local and state leaders, including state Senator Scott Wiener; Superintendent Maria Su; State Senator Scott Wiener; San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu; SFUSD Commissioner Gupta and SFUSD Commissioner Ray.

"Today marks a major achievement in Zum's national electrification efforts as well as an exciting evolution of our successful partnership with San Francisco Unified School District," said Ritu Narayan, CEO of Zum. "This state-of-the-art electric fleet, combined with Zum's CMX technology, will improve the mobility experience for students, families, and drivers while strengthening grid reliability and resiliency for the entire community. We are building connected mobility infrastructure that benefits both schools and cities."

In August of 2026, Zum will deploy 104 electric school buses with bidirectional charging infrastructure in San Francisco. These buses will provide quiet, zero-emission transportation to students and will have the capability to return approximately 3 gigawatt-hours of clean energy to the local grid annually during peak hours, providing power to 1.2 million homes for up to 3-4 hours. Plans include adding additional electric buses to complete the 2027-2028 school year to make a total of 238 EVs with bidirectional charging in San Francisco.

This project has been made possible through the strong support of EPA Region 9, the California Energy Commission, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and PG&E through a combination of grants and incentive programs focused on advancing clean transportation, electrification, and grid resilience infrastructure.

"This investment reflects our commitment to improving the daily experience for students and families by providing safer, quieter, cleaner, and more reliable transportation to and from school, while also advancing the district's long-term operational and sustainability goals," said Superintendent Dr. Maria Su. "Through the partnership between SFUSD, Zum, our Board of Education, the City of San Francisco, transportation staff, and families, we are building a transportation system designed to better serve students today and support future generations."

"This milestone represents a historic moment for San Francisco Unified and the city's broader sustainability goals," said Senator Scott Wiener. "These electric school buses will deliver cleaner air and a quieter ride for students, giving them the best possible start to the school day. During peak demand hours, the buses will return energy to the local grid, improving affordability and resiliency for the city. Together, Zum and SFUSD are setting a national standard for cleaner, more sustainable transportation."

A Five-Year Record of Modernization Through Zum CMX™

SFUSD chose Zum to modernize student transportation through Zum's Connected Mobility Experience (Zum CMX™), a fully integrated technology and operations system that connects people, vehicles, and infrastructure in real time.

Partnering with Zum, students, families, and schools across the district have experienced:

• 98% on average on-time performance;
• 100% route coverage with zero driver shortages;
• Competitive pay, guaranteed hours, and full benefits for drivers;
• Approximately $3.5 million in annual transportation cost savings for the District, reducing the transportation budget by 10%;
• Real-time bus tracking, ETAs, and live communication through the Zum parent app, which has received more than 392,100 five-star ratings from SFUSD families.

The Zum CMX™ system orchestrates the entire transportation ecosystem - from routing, dispatch, and fleet operations to driver workflows, parent communication, and energy management - creating a more reliable, transparent, and efficient experience for all stakeholders.

Electrification That Benefits the Entire Community

Zum's electric fleet in San Francisco will strengthen grid resilience by enabling school bus batteries to return energy to the local grid at scale when not in use. This vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capacity transforms what has traditionally been an underutilized transportation asset into a strategic distributed energy resource - improving reliability, maximizing the value of district infrastructure, and supporting long-term sustainability goals.

Integrated through Zum's CMX™ platform, the electric fleet and charging network will enable real-time intelligent orchestration of transportation operations and energy use, helping optimize fleet performance while supporting grid stability during peak demand periods.

A proven leader in electrification and V2G technology, Zum launched the nation's first all-electric school bus fleet in 2024 in Oakland. In April, Zum announced the deployment of a fully electric school bus fleet for Branford Public Schools, which will make Branford the largest fully electric school district in the Northeast with V2G capabilities.

Adopted in 17 states across more than 4,500 schools, Zum partners with major districts including Omaha Public Schools, Boston Public Schools, Kansas City Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified, and Seattle Public Schools. Zum's fully integrated Connected Mobility Experience (Zum CMX™) system is designed to connect people, vehicles, and operations in real time, reducing anxiety and creating reliable, safe, and seamless transportation for families and schools.

To learn more about how Zum is leading the nation in safe, reliable, and connected student mobility, visit Zum.

About Zum

Zum is revolutionizing mass mobility with its Connected Mobility Experience (Zum CMX™) system that connects and coordinates people, vehicles, and operations in real time. In the $50 billion student mobility market – the largest segment of the mass mobility industry – Zum CMX is transforming a daily source of anxiety and disruption into a reliable, transparent, and efficient mobility experience for students and families. Today, more than 4,500 schools rely on Zum CMX. Recognized globally for its innovative approach and operational execution, Zum has been named to Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies, CNBC Disruptor 50 and Changemakers, the World Economic Forum, and the Financial Times' Fastest Growing Companies lists. Zum is backed by leading investors including Sequoia Capital, GIC, SoftBank, and TPG. Zum, Zum CMX, and associated logos are trademarks of Zum Services, Inc. All rights reserved. Learn more at www.ridezum.com.

CONTACT:

Jenny Mayfield, Vice President of Communications - press@ridezum.com

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