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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded Zum $32 million to advance the electrification of school bus fleets across the nation. This funding, part of the Clean School Bus Program, raises Zum’s total EPA awards to $58 million and will facilitate the deployment of 117 electric school buses to several school districts.
Key Highlights
- Total EPA funding for Zum: $58 million
- Deployment of electric school buses: 117 buses across multiple states
- Additional waitlisted funding: $22.5 million for further deployments
- School districts benefiting: Branford Public Schools (CT), Reading Public Schools (PA), Alameda Unified School District (CA), and more
- Goal: Accelerate transition to 100% electric school buses
This grant, part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will significantly boost Zum’s efforts to decarbonize the school bus industry. The deployment of over 200 electric school buses will be enabled by these awards, with an overarching goal to enhance environmental sustainability and combat climate change.
Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO of Zum, stated, “We are entering a new era of student transportation, and we applaud the EPA’s commitment to improving the health of children and communities with cleaner, greener rides to and from school.” She added, “I founded Zum with a mission to ensure all children have access to safe, reliable and sustainable transportation. This award propels our electrification efforts across the U.S., and we are honored to be part of this initiative.”
In January 2024, the EPA had already granted Zum over $26 million to deploy electric school buses nationwide. By May, Zum announced that Oakland Unified School District will be the first major district to transition to a 100% electrified school bus system featuring innovative vehicle-to-grid technology.
Zum, founded and led by Narayan, a first-generation immigrant and mother, is revolutionizing the yellow school bus system with a focus on digitization and electrification. Their end-to-end technology platform integrates parents, students, school administrators, and drivers, providing unprecedented levels of visibility and accountability. This approach has ushered in a new era of safety, reliability, and sustainability for school districts.
Operating in 14 states, including California, Washington, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Texas, Zum manages student transportation for numerous school districts. Their mission is to deliver safe, reliable, equitable, and sustainable student transportation nationwide.
About Zum
Zum has modernized student transportation, the nation’s largest mass transit system, by developing sustainable methods to charge the grid. Their robust, cloud-based platform provides modern student transportation services tailored to the needs of children and the expectations of modern families. Zum offers a seamless, real-time interface for parents, drivers, schools, and administrators, ensuring safe transport with increased visibility and personalized care. As the only carbon-neutral student transportation provider in the nation, Zum aims to achieve Net Zero emissions through its transition to electric buses. Serving over 4,000 schools across the U.S., Zum continues to invest in community wellbeing. Learn more at www.ridezum.com.
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