Zum Celebrates 100 Years of the School Bus

Some exciting news: Zūm today announced it will launch the 2025-26 school year with a celebration of the 100th birthday of the school bus.

“We’re proud to celebrate this milestone and underscore how far the school bus — powered by technology and electrification — has come,” said Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO of Zum. “As a new school year begins, Zum is expanding rapidly across the country, serving more students and districts than ever before. Our cutting-edge technology enhances safety, gives parents peace of mind and drives a new era of student transportation — one where every child has access to a safe, reliable and efficient ride to and from school.”

5 Things You May Not Know About the School Bus:

1. Albert Luce, a car dealership owner in Georgia, is credited with creating the school bus in 1925, when he attached a wooden body to a truck.
2. Before the motorized school bus, children in the 1800s were transported to school via horse-drawn “school wagons.”
3. Early school buses were often green, red, blue or white. Buses turned yellow in 1939, when a national standard was adopted for safety reasons.
4. In 1987, New York became the first state to require seat belts on school buses.
5. Today, 500,000 school buses move 27 million students in the U.S. each day, making student transportation the nation’s largest mass transit system.

5 Ways Zum Is Reimagining the School Bus Experience:

1. Industry-leading AI-driven technology – Zum’s AI-driven technology optimizes daily bus routes, tracks children’s arrival and departure, and connects families, schools and drivers. The Zum App allows parents to see a profile of their child’s driver, along with real-time information about vehicle location and their child’s pickup or dropoff status.
2. History-making buses that boost grid resilience – In 2024, Zum launched the nation’s first fully electrified school bus fleet in Oakland, CA. Through groundbreaking vehicle-to-grid technology, the 74 EV buses return energy to the local grid at scale and improve grid resilience during times of peak demand.
3. Comprehensive driver training – Zum’s innovative driver training curriculum exceeds county and state requirements and enhances safe environments for all students, especially individuals with disabilities. Zum’s culture, driver satisfaction and benefits have helped partner districts overcome obstacles in the face of a nationwide driver shortage.
4. Measurable results – Across all of Zum’s school districts, 98% of Zum’s buses arrive on time. School districts experience a 20% reduction in bus fleet size, and students spend 25% fewer hours commuting. Zum’s technology can reduce schools’ transportation costs by up to 40%, enabling them to reinvest in educational programs.
5. Family and District Approved – Zum has become a trusted partner for more than 4,000 schools across 14 states and serves some of the largest school districts in the nation, including Los Angeles; San Francisco; Seattle; Boston; Nashville; St. Louis; Howard County, MD; and more.

Zum plans to recognize this transportation milestone with several events and initiatives throughout the 2025-26 school year. Stay tuned — and a very happy 100th birthday to the school bus!