Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology is designed to support and send electricity back to the grid as electric vehicles (EVs) charge. Some civilian EVs, like the Ford F-150 Lightning, have special charging cords that will send unused energy back to the grid, stabilizing it and helping with peak demand.
Buses are now being developed with this technology, and school districts in California are jumping on the bandwagon. Zum, based in California, recently inked a deal with the Oakland Unified School District to deploy the first 100% electric school bus fleet in the United States.
It’s the first EV fleet to be equipped with V2G technology. Seventy-four buses have been deployed for the Oakland school system, each with its bidirectional charger managed with an artificial intelligence system. They can send 2.1 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy back to the grid each year.
“Today marks an exciting milestone in student transportation. By converting Oakland Unified’s school bus fleet to 100% electric, we are showing that sustainability solutions are here — and can positively impact an entire community,” said Ritu Narayan, founder and CEO of Zum, in the official announcement.
“Electric school buses with V2G capability create cleaner transportation and send untapped energy from bus batteries back to the grid. It’s a win-win for children, families, schools, and drivers.”
Zum will work with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) to upgrade charging infrastructure and other equipment for the buses. PG&E was able to provide the Zum Oakland bus depot with 2.7 megawatts (MW) of electricity. California also has many state programs that incentivize V2G use, but most projects like this have been pilot programs until now.
Photo Courtesy Megan Lee
PG&E is involved in the U.S. Department of Energy’s vehicle-to-everything plan that works with legacy automakers, charging companies, and California regulators to enhance EV charging and grid stabilization.
The bus depot will charge when power is cheap and return some when peak demand is in sight. It saves money on energy costs while offering an affordable charging rate.
The move will have a profound emission reduction effect. Zum anticipates at least 25,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases will be quelled.
According to the company website, Zum serves more than 4,000 schools and districts nationwide, including electric buses for the Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Bernardino school systems.
The company wants 10,000 buses in use over the next few years.
“This is a landmark achievement, especially in Oakland, where families are disproportionately impacted by exposure to air pollution and high rates of asthma and other respiratory ailments,” Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell, superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District, said in a statement. “Zum’s electric school buses provide our students quieter, cleaner rides to and from school, giving them a better chance at success in the classroom while ensuring the District is doing its part to cut down on air pollution to the benefit of all Oakland residents.”
Canary Media pointed out that unlike other electric bus deals, such as Maryland’s Montgomery County school bus contract with Highland Electric Fleets, Zum’s V2G buses have their own bidirectional charger for a much larger grid. Tellus Power Green makes the chargers in California. It can provide 50 kilowatt-hours (kWh) on a working day and 111 kWh on a non-working day.
Vivek Garg, Zum COO and co-founder, told Canary Media that Zum used federal funds to drive down the cost of the fleet pilot program by more than 50%.
The contract with the Oakland school district is worth around $11.2 million, and electric buses are priced about the same as the diesel version. Usually, electric versions are more expensive.
PG&E provided around $100,000 to cover the cost of the charging site setup, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program also supplying some funds.
Photo Courtesy Tungsten Rising
“Converting to electric transportation reduces the leading cause of emissions and has the potential to offer a flexible power supply that benefits all customers,” Patti Poppe, PG&E Corporation CEO, said in a statement. “Our partnership with Zum and Oakland Unified on its fully electric school bus fleet is a blueprint for schools across California and the nation to better serve our students, local communities, and, ultimately, our planet.”
Buses around the U.S. are going electric in an attempt to decarbonize and save money, particularly the latter. A small-town Nebraska school district got a Bluebird electric bus for free. It was met with opposition from local townsfolk, but Christopher Prososki, the Wymore, Nebraska, superintendent, told the New York Times, “A free bus is a free bus.”
If the U.S. could replace the 90% of its 500,000 school buses that run on diesel fuel with electric power, the emission reduction numbers would be massive — up to 8.4 million tons. This latest deal in Oakland continues the country on the electric conversion journey.
