diff --git a/esphome/components/canbus/__init__.py b/esphome/components/canbus/__init__.py
index e1de1eb2f2..7b51c2c45c 100644
--- a/esphome/components/canbus/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/canbus/__init__.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from esphome import automation
 import esphome.codegen as cg
 import esphome.config_validation as cv
 from esphome.const import CONF_DATA, CONF_ID, CONF_TRIGGER_ID
-from esphome.core import CORE
+from esphome.core import CORE, ID
 
 CODEOWNERS = ["@mvturnho", "@danielschramm"]
 IS_PLATFORM_COMPONENT = True
@@ -176,5 +176,8 @@ async def canbus_action_to_code(config, action_id, template_arg, args):
     else:
         if isinstance(data, bytes):
             data = [int(x) for x in data]
-        cg.add(var.set_data_static(data))
+        # Generate static array in flash to avoid RAM copy
+        arr_id = ID(f"{action_id}_data", is_declaration=True, type=cg.uint8)
+        arr = cg.static_const_array(arr_id, cg.ArrayInitializer(*data))
+        cg.add(var.set_data_static(arr, len(data)))
     return var
diff --git a/esphome/components/canbus/canbus.h b/esphome/components/canbus/canbus.h
index 029eb278c0..f7b84111bd 100644
--- a/esphome/components/canbus/canbus.h
+++ b/esphome/components/canbus/canbus.h
@@ -112,13 +112,16 @@ class Canbus : public Component {
 
 template<typename... Ts> class CanbusSendAction : public Action<Ts...>, public Parented<Canbus> {
  public:
-  void set_data_template(const std::function<std::vector<uint8_t>(Ts...)> func) {
-    this->data_func_ = func;
-    this->static_ = false;
+  void set_data_template(std::vector<uint8_t> (*func)(Ts...)) {
+    // Stateless lambdas (generated by ESPHome) implicitly convert to function pointers
+    this->data_.func = func;
+    this->len_ = -1;  // Sentinel value indicates template mode
   }
-  void set_data_static(const std::vector<uint8_t> &data) {
-    this->data_static_ = data;
-    this->static_ = true;
+
+  // Store pointer to static data in flash (no RAM copy)
+  void set_data_static(const uint8_t *data, size_t len) {
+    this->data_.data = data;
+    this->len_ = len;  // Length >= 0 indicates static mode
   }
 
   void set_can_id(uint32_t can_id) { this->can_id_ = can_id; }
@@ -133,21 +136,26 @@ template<typename... Ts> class CanbusSendAction : public Action<Ts...>, public P
     auto can_id = this->can_id_.has_value() ? *this->can_id_ : this->parent_->can_id_;
     auto use_extended_id =
         this->use_extended_id_.has_value() ? *this->use_extended_id_ : this->parent_->use_extended_id_;
-    if (this->static_) {
-      this->parent_->send_data(can_id, use_extended_id, this->remote_transmission_request_, this->data_static_);
+    std::vector<uint8_t> data;
+    if (this->len_ >= 0) {
+      // Static mode: copy from flash to vector
+      data.assign(this->data_.data, this->data_.data + this->len_);
     } else {
-      auto val = this->data_func_(x...);
-      this->parent_->send_data(can_id, use_extended_id, this->remote_transmission_request_, val);
+      // Template mode: call function
+      data = this->data_.func(x...);
     }
+    this->parent_->send_data(can_id, use_extended_id, this->remote_transmission_request_, data);
   }
 
  protected:
   optional<uint32_t> can_id_{};
   optional<bool> use_extended_id_{};
   bool remote_transmission_request_{false};
-  bool static_{false};
-  std::function<std::vector<uint8_t>(Ts...)> data_func_{};
-  std::vector<uint8_t> data_static_{};
+  ssize_t len_{-1};  // -1 = template mode, >=0 = static mode with length
+  union Data {
+    std::vector<uint8_t> (*func)(Ts...);  // Function pointer (stateless lambdas)
+    const uint8_t *data;                  // Pointer to static data in flash
+  } data_;
 };
 
 class CanbusTrigger : public Trigger<std::vector<uint8_t>, uint32_t, bool>, public Component {