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Electric vehicles

Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Partners Commission Advanced Vehicle-to-Grid Electric School Bus Fleet

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

California's largest utility provider, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), in partnership with Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) and The Mobility House, has announced the commissioning of one of the state's most advanced vehicle-to-grid (V2G) electric school bus fleets. This project marks a significant milestone in clean transportation, grid resilience, and student health, with 22 electric vehicle chargers installed to power a growing fleet of 14 electric school buses. The project is part of PG&E's commercial fleet Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) pilot, following the successful deployment with Zum and Oakland Unified School District in 2024.

Key Takeaways:

  • The project installs 22 electric vehicle chargers, including 14 low-power chargers, six high-power bidirectional V2G direct current (DC) fast chargers, and two high-power unidirectional chargers planned for 2026.
  • The charging infrastructure supports a fleet of 14 electric school buses, with four Thomas Built and 10 Blue Bird buses, and will displace six internal combustion engine buses.
  • The project uses The Mobility House's intelligent charge management platform, ChargePilot, which optimizes charging and discharging of the fleet using open standards.
  • The fleet is participating in PG&E's Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP) by responding to OpenADR signals, turning school buses into grid assets that can support reliability during peak demand.
  • PG&E upgraded the site's electrical infrastructure to accommodate the full allocation of six V2G DC fast chargers, including a new 480-volt 3-phase service entrance, a 750 kVA transformer, and facilitated installation of a 2,500 Amp switchgear.

Statistics:

  • 22 electric vehicle chargers have been installed to support the fleet of 14 electric school buses.
  • Six internal combustion engine buses are being displaced by electric buses.
  • Four new electric buses will enter service in 2023, and two more will enter service in 2026.
  • PG&E's commercial fleet Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) pilot has supported 17 electric school buses and 13 electric medium-duty vehicles with incentives for infrastructure and charging equipment.

Sources:

  • Pacific Gas and Electric Company press release, no date (exact quote not available)
  • "Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Fremont Unified School District, and The Mobility House Announce One of California's Most Advanced Vehicle-to-Grid Electric School Bus Fleets" - exact publication date not specified.

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