V2G specialist Nuvve plans to install up to 200 of its 125 kW V2G-capable dual-dispenser DC fast charging stations at bus-builder Blue Bird’s delivery facility in Fort Valley, Georgia. This V2G hub will allow newly-built e-buses to act as energy storage assets while they wait to be delivered.

Nuvve will create the V2G hub in the ready-for-delivery (RFD) lot at Blue Bird’s facility, where electric buses coming off the production line will be stored. Blue Bird Vision Type C and All American Type D buses currently come standard with Nuvve V2G integration for bidirectional charging. The buses will be plugged in as they await delivery to Blue Bird dealerships and fleet customers. Instead of having the electric buses sitting idle at or near full battery capacity or almost empty—factors that can degrade battery storage potential—Nuvve’s V2G software platform will charge and discharge energy at rates optimal for battery health. Nuvve will also charge the buses when energy rates are low to minimize utility bills.

Nuvve’s system will aggregate the parked buses in a virtual power plant (VPP) to create capacity of up to 25 MW. This will provide power back to the grid at critical times that could help reduce the peak consumption of more than 10,000 homes.

Site development is planned to begin before the end of the year.

“This is another exciting step for Blue Bird and our partner, Nuvve, as we lead the journey of school bus fleet electrification while also optimizing how that fleet integrates with the grid to efficiently use energy and enhance the resiliency of the country’s electricity supply,” said Trevor Rudderham, Senior VP for Electrification at Blue Bird. “Blue Bird is already at the forefront of V2G, and this makes further use of the standard bidirectional capability on every EV we sell.”

“This V2G hub will serve as a blueprint for large-scale school bus fleet deployments across the country,” said Gregory Poilasne, Chairman and CEO of Nuvve. “We must introduce electric vehicles to the grid in a smart, integrated way, and our intelligent energy platform allows us to do that by transforming these vehicles into energy storage assets.”

Source: Nuvve