by Ryan Hooper - Head of Partnerships at Tellus Power Europe
In Oakland, California, a fleet of bright-yellow school buses do more than shuttle students to class. Parked at midday, these vehicles hum quietly as they channel stored energy back into the local grid, stabilising power supply during peak demand. Equipped with our inverter-free bidirectional chargers and powered by our partnership with Zum, these buses are quietly transforming how communities think about energy.
It’s a powerful example of how Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technology is reshaping energy systems worldwide. One that Europe, despite its EV leadership, has yet to fully embrace, even as grid constraints and renewable variability become daily challenges.
The Shift: From Energy Consumers to Grid Partners
At Tellus Power, we see electric vehicles as more than just transportation. With our V2X grid integration technology, they become dynamic energy assets, capable of providing real-time support to power grids and reducing reliance on fossil-fuel peaker plants.
Case in Point: The Zum Fleet in Oakland
Bidirectional Charging 101: Our chargers allow Zum’s buses to draw power when demand is low (like overnight) and discharge it during peak hours. Thanks to our inverter-free architecture, vehicles do not require costly onboard hardware upgrades. Think of them as mobile batteries that balance grid needs while ensuring buses are always charged and ready for their routes.
By the Numbers: Each bus delivers up to 50 kWh of energy daily on working days and 111 kWh on weekends, all while using just 80% of the battery’s capacity. This careful balance ensures battery health, longevity, and reliability for Oakland’s students, with built-in state-of-charge (SOC) safeguards that always prioritise vehicle readiness.
Why Does Europe Need V2X Now?
- Grid Constraints: Aging infrastructure in cities like Rome and Brussels strains under peak loads. Long DNO connection queues (often 18–24 months) and transformer limitations delay EV infrastructure rollouts. Bidirectional EVs can relieve these stress points without requiring substation upgrades.
- Renewable Integration: Take Germany, for instance. In 2023, renewables made up 59.7% of net public electricity generation. Yet, the intermittent nature of solar and wind still poses challenges. Grid operators routinely curtail wind and solar output during oversupply events. V2X provides a distributed storage solution by capturing excess energy when the sun shines and releasing it when it doesn’t.
- Urban Density: Compact cities like Paris and Amsterdam need solutions that maximise existing assets. Idle fleets of buses, taxis, and delivery vehicles, which are often stationary 70% of the day, represent a massive, underutilised energy storage network.
Intelligent Energy Management: The Brains Behind the Brawn
Bidirectional charging is only part of the story. What makes the system truly powerful is what happens behind the scenes: intelligent energy management platforms that optimise every electron in real time.
Optimising Every Electron
Energy management platforms with V2X capabilities are transforming EV infrastructure from passive consumption points into grid-stabilising, revenue-generating assets.
Core functionalities include:
- Dynamic Load Balancing: Allocates power between chargers, onsite battery storage, and building loads in real time to optimise efficiency.
- V2G Arbitrage: Selling stored vehicle energy back to the grid during peak pricing periods, maximising value while reducing demand charges.
- Predictive Analytics: Leveraging AI and machine learning to align charging patterns with renewable generation forecasts, tariff changes, and demand-response events.
In pilot programs with charge point operators, this approach has increased per-charger profitability by 24% through optimised time-of-use pricing, frequency response participation, and load shifting.
Tellus Power’s V2X-enabled energy management platform integrates these capabilities, helping CPOs and fleet operators reduce energy costs, enhance site resilience, and unlock new revenue streams.
Beyond Buses: Our V2X’s Role in Europe’s Green EV Ecosystem
1. Inverter-Free Innovation
Traditional V2X requires onboard vehicle inverters. Our chargers embed this functionality, eliminating retrofits and simplifying fleet deployment. This shortens OEM development cycles and accelerates market readiness.
2. Seamless Integration, Zero Financial Burden
Europe’s CPOs face enough hurdles: permitting delays, grid bottlenecks, tight budgets. Our systems operate with today’s infrastructure. No new substations, no major upfront hardware costs. Just smarter energy flow.
3. From Grid Strain to Grid Gain
In cities like Paris or Milan, where grid upgrades could take years, our technology offers immediate relief. Idle EVs , whether corporate shuttles or rideshare fleets, become grid assets, exporting stored energy during peak demand.
4. Renewable Energy’s Perfect Partner
Germany’s wind farms and Spain’s solar arrays generate vast surpluses only to be wasted when supply outstrips demand. Our systems capture this excess, storing it in EV batteries and releasing it when clouds roll in or winds stall. In 2023, renewables accounted for nearly 60% of Germany’s electricity generation, yet much of this clean energy still goes underutilised. V2X turns surplus into stored strength, making every kilowatt count.
5. Empowering OEMs as Sustainability Leaders
Automakers racing to meet the EU’s 2035 internal combustion engine ban now have a clear edge: bidirectional readiness without redesign. By partnering with us, OEMs can position their EVs as grid-ready assets, appealing to cities and fleets prioritising energy resilience, net-zero goals, and compliance with CSRD and the EU Battery Regulation (2023/1542).
Europe’s Moment to Lead the Charge!
The EU’s €67 billion annual grid investment target highlights the scale of the challenge. Yet waiting for infrastructure upgrades risks ceding EV leadership to regions embracing decentralised, flexible solutions.
We’ve led the charge on renewables. We’ve adopted electric mobility at an unmatched pace. Now, it’s time to connect these two achievements through the missing link: bidirectional charging.
The lesson from Oakland is clear: V2X isn’t a future concept; it’s already transforming communities. And Europe is uniquely positioned to scale it faster, smarter, and more boldly. With dense urban centers, ambitious climate goals, and world-class industries, our continent needs a grid as agile as our aspirations.
The technology is here. The infrastructure is ready.
Next Step? Book a free consultation with Ryan or connect directly with him on Linkedin to explore how Tellus Power’s V2X solutions can help you lead the change!
