California-based student transportation services company Zum has been awarded $32 million from the US Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Program to deploy 117 electric school buses to its district partners across the US.
This includes Branford Public Schools (CT), Reading Public Schools (PA), Alameda Unified School District (CA), Centinela Valley Union High School District (CA), Santa Barbara Unified School District (CA), and Spokane Public Schools (WA).
While the funding brought Zum's total EPA awards to $58 million, the company was waitlisted for an additional $22.5 million to provide electric school buses for the San Bernardino Unified School District, San Francisco Unified School District, and Oakland Unified School District.
The EPA awards will help Zum deploy more than 200 electric school buses to school districts across the country. The grants, backed by President Biden's Investing in America agenda, will not only accelerate Zum's transition to 100% electric school buses but also expand its AI-driven technology platform to fully decarbonize the school bus industry and strengthen the fight against climate change.
"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," said Zum Founder and CEO Ritu Narayan. "This award propels our electrification efforts across the US, and we are honored to be part of this initiative."
