Synop makes electric school buses mobile battery packs for power grid

Startup Synop aims to provide electric vehicle operations and energy management to a single platform, so it becomes easier for buses, trucks, and EV fleets to make use of that energy. The company has specific interest in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, allowing electric vehicles to reverse the power and send energy back into their local power grid.

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Snop understands companies are switching to electric to run their fleet, but there is still work to be done to make sure mass adoption leads to a sustainable infrastructure.

As said by Andrew Blejde, co-founder of Synop, in a statement published by CNBC: "We helped deliver 10 megawatt hours of energy back into the grid, and we did that every single day for the entire duration of the summer. Really that's about charging when it's cheap and selling energy back when it's most advantageous."

Synop contributed to a pilot program in Beverely, MA, that saw two electric school buses were able to contribute seven megawatt hours of energy back to the electric grid. That amount of power is able to power an average US home for eight complete months.

It's no secret there is a major effort towards electrification in transportation, especially among cars, SUVs, and even semi-trucks. As states move to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles in the coming years, there are numerous red flags related to how sustainable the power grid can keep up with growing EV demand.

The ability to reverse electric flow and send power from a vehicle's internal battery system back into the grid is an innovative strategy that could be highly beneficial. Companies that are switching to electric delivery vehicles also might hold a valuable commodity in stored power that isn't immediately required - and V2G could benefit if these companies can contribute during a local incident.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a $1 billion school bus rebate program active, which awards school districts working to transition from diesel school buses.