Energizing the Future: Fremont USD’s V2G School Bus Fleet
School buses are the backbone of student transportation. Now, innovative school districts are also deploying them as a vital component of local energy grids. Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) recently reached a major milestone in its sustainability journey by launching a landmark Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) charging system for its electric school bus fleet.
Partnering with The Mobility House, FUSD is transforming its buses into mobile power plants. This project proves that with the right tools and strategies, school districts can successfully transition to an electric fleet, achieve aggressive sustainability goals, and support a stable electrical grid.
Driving Sustainable And Efficient Operations
Fremont Unified is setting a precedent as a first mover in bidirectional charging for electric school buses, demonstrating what is possible with the latest technology. Ernest Epley, FUSD’s Director of Transportation, emphasizes that this is the future of sustainable, safe and efficient zero-emissions transportation technology.
"We’ve already seen how the electric buses can contribute to cleaner air for our community. Now, we have the opportunity to use these buses to deliver clean and reliable energy too."
Erny Epley,
Fremont USD
By utilizing grant funding from the California Energy Commission’s Clean Transportation Program and exploring new revenue streams from utility programs such as PG&E's V2X Pilot, FUSD is proving that zero-emission transportation is both environmentally and economically sound.
ChargePilot® controller display at Fremont USD Ribbon Cutting Event
Unlocking Grid Resilience with ChargePilot®
Adopting electric buses is a substantial transition for a fleet's daily operations. To manage these complexities efficiently, FUSD relies on ChargePilot®, our smart charging and energy management system.
The Fremont deployment features six bidirectional chargers that participate in Pacific Gas & Electric’s (PG&E) Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP). Here is how the integrated system delivers results:
- Charge Management: ChargePilot® manages daily charging, ensuring buses draw power during off-peak hours to avoid high utility rates.
- Grid Support: Cascade EV Aggregator receives load reduction signals from PG&E. ChargePilot® then automatically adjusts charging profiles, allowing the buses to discharge energy back into the grid during peak demand.
- Operational Readiness: The system guarantees that every bus is fully charged to complete its scheduled routes.
"Electric school buses, with their large batteries and predictable schedules, have tremendous potential to support the electric grid with V2G. We are proud to provide the technology that enables the district to drive clean and support community energy resilience."
Gregor Hintler, CEO,
The Mobility House, North America
Open Standards for Scalable Success
Transitioning to interoperable solutions isn’t just a technical upgrade; it’s a strategic advantage that sets your fleet up for scalability and long-term success. The multi-district initiative in which FUSD is participating, known as the Replicable V2X Deployment for Schools, serves as a blueprint for transit operators nationwide.
By utilizing open standards, the charging infrastructure is fully interoperable with multiple vehicle models and hardware systems. This flexibility means that as FUSD expands its fleet, the underlying technology will scale effortlessly. Sarah Woogen, VP of Product and Delivery for The Mobility House North America, notes that this approach prevents vendor lock-in and demonstrates the maturity of V2G technology.
"At The Mobility House, we believe in a clean electric grid future. We want to bring together the transportation industry and the utility industry to provide zero-emission transportation. Fremont is a landmark project because it's one of the first of its kind to use open standards."
Sarah Woogen, VP of Product and Delivery,
The Mobility House, North America
Start Your Fleet Electrification Journey
The Fremont Unified School District project highlights the immense potential of pairing electric school buses with intelligent charge management and aggregation. FUSD delivers clean transportation for students, generates operational savings, and provides critical flexibility to the local grid.
With our full-service solution and core technologies, we are the trusted experts in fleet EV charging and VGI. We enable fleet operators to actively participate in the energy market and make them a crucial part of the zero-emissions energy and transportation future.
Ready to optimize your electric fleet and unlock the benefits of smart charging? Contact our team today to schedule a technology demonstration and build your roadmap to zero-emission transportation.