Largest V2G Electric School Bus Deployment in the Nation Announced by Zum and SFUSD

On May 21, 2026, Zūm, a leader in electric student mobility, announced the rollout of an all-electric school bus fleet for the San Francisco Unified School District. Powered by Zum’s Connected Mobility Experience (CMX™) platform, the initiative combines electric buses, charging infrastructure, intelligent routing, real-time fleet operations, and family communication into one integrated transportation system. The deployment will also feature bidirectional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging technology, making it the largest bidirectional electric school bus fleet in the United States.

Zum marked the first phase of the project during a groundbreaking event attended by California and San Francisco leaders, including Scott Wiener, Superintendent Maria Su, David Chiu, SFUSD Commissioner Gupta, and SFUSD Commissioner Ray.

Beginning in August 2026, Zum will deploy 104 electric school buses across San Francisco alongside modern charging infrastructure equipped with V2G capabilities. The buses will provide quiet, zero-emission transportation for students while also supporting California’s power grid. The fleet is expected to return nearly 3 gigawatt-hours of clean energy to the grid each year during peak demand periods, enough to power approximately 1.2 million homes for several hours. Additional buses are scheduled to be added during the 2027-2028 school year, bringing the total San Francisco fleet to 238 electric buses with bidirectional charging.

“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.”

The project was made possible through support from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9, the California Energy Commission, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company through grants and incentive programs focused on electrification, clean transportation, and grid resilience.

SFUSD selected Zum five years ago to modernize its transportation system using the company’s Connected Mobility Experience platform. Since the partnership began, the district has reported a 98% average on-time performance rate, full route coverage without driver shortages, improved driver pay and benefits, and approximately $3.5 million in annual transportation savings, reducing the district’s transportation budget by roughly 10%. Families also gained access to real-time bus tracking, ETAs, and live communication tools through the Zum parent app, which has received more than 392,000 five-star ratings from SFUSD families.

Zum says its CMX™ platform coordinates every part of the transportation ecosystem, including routing, dispatch, driver workflows, fleet operations, parent communication, and energy management, creating a more efficient and transparent experience for schools and families.

“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.”

The company’s growing focus on electrification also extends beyond student transportation. Through V2G technology, school bus batteries can return unused energy back to the electrical grid while buses are parked, turning transportation fleets into distributed energy resources that can support grid stability and community resilience during periods of peak demand.

Zum previously launched the nation’s first fully electric school bus fleet in Oakland in 2024. More recently, the company announced a fully electric deployment for Branford Public Schools, which will become the largest fully electric school district in the Northeastern United States with V2G capabilities.

Today, Zum operates in 17 states and serves more than 4,500 schools, partnering with districts including Boston Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified School District, Seattle Public Schools, and Omaha Public Schools. The company has also earned recognition from Fast Company, CNBC, the World Economic Forum, and the Financial Times for its innovation and growth in transportation technology.