Oakland Unified School District Transitions to 100% Electric School Bus Fleet with V2G Technology

An Oakland, California, school district has made history by becoming the first in the US to switch to a 100% electric school bus system equipped with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. The move comes as part of a collaboration with the modern student transportation platform Zum.

With a fleet of 74 electric school buses and bidirectional chargers provided by Zum, the Oakland Unified School District is leading the way in sustainable transportation. Utility Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has contributed 2.7 megawatts (MW) of load to Zum's Oakland EV-ready facility, where the fleet will be operated using Zum's AI-enabled technology platform.

This groundbreaking initiative has been applauded by Kim Raney, the executive director of transportation at Oakland Unified School District. Raney emphasized the positive impact of transitioning to electric buses on the Oakland community, particularly in addressing issues related to air pollution and health disparities.

Aside from being emissions-free, the 100% electric school bus fleet also serves as a Virtual Power Plant (VPP), returning 2.1 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy to the grid annually. This innovative approach demonstrates the potential for school buses to play a significant role in energy management.

With student transportation being a major component of mass transit in the United States, the shift towards electric buses has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, a large majority of the nation's school buses operate on carbon-based fuels, contributing to millions of tons of greenhouse gases each year.

Looking ahead, Zum aims to electrify the school bus fleets of other major districts, such as San Francisco Unified and Los Angeles Unified, which have significantly larger fleets compared to Oakland. By expanding the use of electric buses, the company seeks to further promote sustainability and environmental stewardship in the education sector.

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