USA / Germany / Netherlands – At the UITP Global Public Transport Summit in Hamburg (June 15 – 18), T&BB spoke with representatives of Dutch EV charging company, Heliox BV (a subsidiary of Siemens AG), based in Best, Netherlands, who announced the commercial deployment of an ISO 15118‑20-compliant vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging solution, developed in partnership with Accelera by Cummins, Hubject* and Blue Bird Corporation. This combines Heliox’s high-power DC V2G chargers with Cummins’ electric powertrains, Hubject’s Plug&Charge digital ecosystem, and Blue Bird’s electric school buses. Though the current rollout focuses on electric school buses in North America, the scalable and standards-based design positions the solution for future deployment across Europe and other markets.

A V2G system enables electric vehicles not only to draw energy from the grid but also to send stored electricity back, effectively turning buses into energy storage systems. The implications for commercial vehicles are significant. Transit agencies can now optimise energy costs, earn revenue by selling power back to the grid, and improve local grid stability. During idle periods, when vehicles are parked, their batteries can store surplus renewable energy or help balance peak demand, providing both financial and sustainability benefits.