In this edition of ⚡ V2G News, we look at why electric school buses are emerging as the perfect V2G fleet—and what challenges remain to move from today’s early commercial projects to thousands of buses delivering reliable grid services.
We also dive into a new industry report from ev.energy that shows how shifting from managed charging (V1G) to full bidirectional charging (V2G) can double the value for the grid 💰, unlocking billions in potential savings for ratepayers.
And as always, we’ve got the latest critical updates from the past two weeks—the policy, technology, and market moves shaping the future of V2G, including Honda’s big step into bidirectional charging. 🚀 Check it out!
V2G Insights
Back to School, Back to the Grid: From Pilot Projects to Scaled School Bus V2G
Image: The Mobility House
As students across the country head back to school, a quieter but equally important shift is happening in school bus depots: the rise of electric school buses equipped with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. These bright yellow vehicles, long symbols of American education, are now emerging as some of the most promising assets in our clean energy transition.
Why school buses? The answer is simple: they are the perfect V2G fleet. With large batteries, predictable duty cycles, and long idle periods, school buses spend much of their time parked — often right when the grid needs support most. Unlike diesel buses, which sit dormant when not in service, electric school buses can act as mobile batteries, discharging stored energy back to the grid during hot summer afternoons or extreme weather events. With nearly 500,000 school buses in North America, the potential for clean, reliable, grid-supporting capacity is enormous.
V2G News cuts through the hype and explains the transition from school bus V2G pilots to the most promising commercial opportunity for bidirectional charging.
V2G Intelligence
Doubling the Value: Why Bidirectional Charging is Key to Grid Savings
V2G News Intelligence highlights key new industry reports that help shape the understanding of the potential of bidirectional charging and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology. This latest study, The Utility Playbook: Turning EV Grid Risk into a $30 Billion Opportunity, authored by the smart charging solutions provider ev.energy, with research support from The Brattle Group, reinforces a key theme we’ve covered before: the substantial incremental value that emerges when managed charging (V1G) evolves into full bidirectional vehicle-to-grid (V2G). Similar findings were presented in the Union of Concerned Scientists’ analysis of bidirectional charging in California, which we featured in V2G News Volume 1 | Issue 1.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are often seen as a looming challenge for utilities—an immense new load threatening to stress already strained distribution systems. The Utility Playbook reframes this challenge as a generational opportunity. With the right strategies, EVs can evolve from a grid liability into a $30 billion annual cost-avoidance resource by 2035. The report’s central contribution is its Cost-Avoidance Stack, a framework that quantifies the layered savings possible when EVs are actively managed as flexible grid assets.
The report underscores that managed charging (V1G) is the foundation of any EV-grid integration strategy. Left unmanaged, clusters of EVs charging simultaneously could accelerate transformer failures, trigger costly upgrades, and undermine reliability. But through active optimization—automatically shifting load away from peak hours and toward periods of low-cost, low-carbon generation—EVs can function as the engine of virtual power plants (VPPs).
The “ladder of maturity” described in the playbook traces this evolution: unmanaged and behavioral approaches (timers, basic TOU rates) provide modest benefits but risk creating new demand spikes; active managed charging (V1G) delivers the bulk of near-term value by dynamically responding to grid and price signals; and bidirectional charging (V2H/V2G) represents the frontier—unlocking entirely new value streams by enabling EVs not only to shift demand but also to export stored energy back to homes and the grid.
V2G Finds
Honda Joins the V2G Race in U.S. with Bold “Virtual Power Plant” Vision
At RE+ 25, Honda unveiled its vision for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and vehicle-to-home (V2H) technology, showcasing the Acura RSX Prototype alongside a bidirectional charging concept and announcing a collaboration with Southern California Edison. By positioning future Honda and Acura EVs as “Virtual Power Plants,” Honda aims to give customers the ability to manage energy costs, provide backup power, and support grid reliability. This move is transformative for bidirectional charging: Honda is the first major Japanese automaker beyond Nissan to formally commit to V2G in the U.S. market, signaling that the technology is shifting from niche pilots to mainstream adoption. With Honda’s scale and integration of home energy products, the company’s entry could accelerate standardization, utility partnerships, and consumer confidence—key ingredients for scaling V2G into a core part of the clean energy transition.
9/4/2025
ChargePoint and Eaton launch breakthrough ultrafast DC V2G chargers and power infrastructure to accelerate the future of EV charging
ChargePoint and Eaton have launched their first commercial joint product with built-in V2G capability, following the collaboration we previously covered. Unveiled at the RE+ trade show, the ChargePoint Express Grid, powered by Eaton, is a modular DC fast charging system that delivers up to 600 kW for passenger EVs and scales to megawatt charging for heavy-duty fleets.
The system integrates Eaton’s end-to-end power infrastructure with ChargePoint’s ultrafast chargers, promising ~30% lower capex, footprint, and O&M costs. With V2G at its core, it can link renewables, storage, and EV batteries to reduce fleet fueling costs and help balance the grid at scale. Deliveries for select customers in North America and Europe begin in late 2026.
8/28/2025
Global V2G Market Set to Soar from $354M in 2025 to $4.5B by 2032
A new report from Coherent Market Insights projects the global vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology market to surge from USD 354.6 million in 2025 to USD 4.53 billion by 2032, reflecting a remarkable 43.9% CAGR. The study highlights rapid advances in V2G-enabled hardware, integration with renewables and storage, and rising fleet electrification as key growth drivers. It also underscores the evolving competitive landscape—featuring semiconductor and power electronics leaders such as Intel, Infineon, and NXP—and points to significant opportunities across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific as utilities and fleets embrace V2G to enhance grid resilience and cut operating costs.
9/3/2025
RAA Pushes V2G Onto the COP31 Agenda with South Australia’s First Residential Installation
COP31 refers to the 31st annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, the global summit where governments negotiate international climate policy. Australia is bidding to host the event in Adelaide in 2026, which would bring the world’s energy and climate leaders to South Australia. By calling for bidirectional charging to be highlighted at COP31, the Royal Automobile Association is signaling that EV-to-grid technologies deserve a place on the global climate agenda alongside renewables, storage, and efficiency.
8/28/2025
Nissan Partners with University of Toronto to Advance Secure, Scalable V2G Research
Nissan and the University of Toronto have signed a multi-year partnership to accelerate research at the intersection of EVs and the electric grid, with a focus on developing secure, scalable vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems for North America. Anchored by U of T’s Electric Vehicle Research Centre and Grid Modernization Centre, the collaboration will explore edge computing and AI to enable real-time energy management across EVs, homes, and the grid—laying the foundation for virtual power plants. Nissan’s longstanding V2X expertise, combined with U of T’s research leadership, positions the partnership to drive real-world innovation in grid-integrated EV solutions.
9/28/2025
EnergyHub Pushes Deeper Into EVs, Setting the Stage for Bidirectional Charging
EnergyHub, a leading virtual power plant (VPP) provider managing millions of devices for over 70 utilities, has acquired Bridge to Renewables (BTR) to expand its reach in EV managed charging. The deal brings telematics connections to more than 500,000 EVs and partnerships with 12 automakers, creating a direct line between utilities and the vehicles that will shape the next phase of grid flexibility.
As we highlight in this edition’s deep dive, shifting from managed charging (V1G) to V2G can double the value delivered to the grid, saving ratepayers billions. While EnergyHub’s acquisition is first and foremost about strengthening its managed charging leadership, the OEM connectivity and data access it gains through BTR could also open the door to future bidirectional services — positioning the company to evolve as V2G becomes more widely available.
9/4/2025
Zaptec launches ‘UK first’ V2G charger for domestic and commercial use
The launch of Zaptec’s Go 2 charger in the UK adds a new dimension to the global AC vs. DC discussion for bidirectional charging. As the first AC V2G-ready charger commercially available in the UK, the Go 2 demonstrates how lower-cost, standards-based AC solutions could complement DC systems by making V2G more accessible for homes and small businesses. With ISO 15118 support, MID-certified metering, and integration with solar and smart tariffs, Zaptec is positioning V2G AC as a practical option for early adopters. While it’s still early days and technical limitations remain, Europe’s willingness to test AC-based approaches offers useful lessons for other markets still focused on DC pilots—echoing themes from our Highway to Scale feature in Volume 1 | Issue 2 about the different pathways to mass-market adoption.
9/2/2025
Nuvve Appeals Nasdaq Delisting, Stresses Commitment to V2G Growth
Nuvve, the longest-running pure-play V2G company, has requested a Nasdaq hearings panel review after receiving a delisting notice tied to share price and equity levels. Trading remains in place pending the outcome, and the company has expressed confidence in its ability to regain compliance. The situation reflects the financial hurdles that can face pioneering clean energy firms, but also highlights Nuvve’s persistence in advancing vehicle-to-grid technology at a time when policy support and utility interest are accelerating.
9/4/2025
BC Hydro Launches Canada’s First Real-World V2G School Bus Pilot
Adding to the momentum highlighted in this edition’s feature on school bus V2G, BC Hydro has launched Canada’s first real-world pilot using electric school buses as mobile power sources. In partnership with Lynch Bus Lines and Fuse Power Management, the utility is testing how bus batteries—each with 200 kWh of storage—can provide backup power during outages, manage peak demand, and reduce reliance on diesel generators. With support from NorthX Climate Tech, PacifiCan, and others, the project reinforces why school buses are emerging as one of the most important early fleet applications for V2G worldwide.
9/5/2025
