Nuvve, a global technology company accelerating the electrification of transportation through its proprietary vehicle-to-grid (V2G) platform, and Blue Bird, a designer and manufacturer of school buses, plan to deploy the financing capabilities of Levo Mobility, Nuvve’s recently formed joint venture with Stonepeak Partners, across Blue Bird’s distribution network, allowing customers to lease V2G electric school buses, related charging infrastructure and energy management for a flat monthly fee with no upfront costs. The Nuvve and Blue Bird partnership expansion will also integrate Nuvve V2G charging infrastructure within the Blue Bird manufacturing and distribution network.

Nuvve and Blue Bird previously announced their collaboration to introduce V2G-compatible electric buses to the U.S. market and integrate electric vehicles into the grid using Nuvve’s V2G platform. All Blue Bird Type C and D electric buses are manufactured with Nuvve’s V2G integration, which, when combined with a Nuvve V2G charging station, are able to store and discharge energy. The excess stored energy across multiple buses can be combined to form virtual power plants (VPPs) offering grid services that earn revenue.

Levo Mobility will offer its fleet-as-a-service (FaaS) model through Blue Bird’s distribution network, providing fully financed electric school buses along with associated charging infrastructure, services and energy management to qualified Blue Bird customers and dealers. Levo Mobility has a capital commitment of up to $750 million with the potential to electrify up to 3,500 school buses.

“We are always looking at innovative ways to reduce our customers’ cost of ownership for their school buses,” Phil Horlock, CEO of Blue Bird, said. “By incorporating the cost of charging infrastructure and the benefits from lower operating costs and V2G revenue into the lease price, the total value of zero-emission Blue Bird school buses becomes very attractive. We are excited to collaborate with Nuvve and look forward to continuing to advance our positions as market leaders in the V2G-enabled electric school bus segment.”

Nuvve’s V2G platform and charging infrastructure will also be installed at Blue Bird’s manufacturing facility to allow all new electric buses to charge before delivery.

“Blue Bird has championed electric school buses that come standard with V2G capability, and its customers trust its ability to help maximize their investment,” Gregory Poilasne, chairman and CEO of Nuvve, said. “Integrating V2G infrastructure upstream in the supply chain is a natural next step, and we’re proud that our partnership has produced a new level of accessibility for schools transitioning away from dirty diesel engines. We look forward to our continued collaboration to help intelligently electrify transportation in this key market.”

By using Nuvve’s V2G platform, schools can realize cost benefits by charging electric buses when rates are low and by allowing Nuvve to sell the excess energy back to the grid when needed; these proceeds can be shared with customers or help offset upfront costs of charging infrastructure. Additionally, the technology enables electric vehicles to act as “storage on wheels” for renewable energy, including solar and wind that is intermittent by nature, and helps integrate these resources into the grid in a more predictable and reliable way.

Blue Bird and Nuvve also plan to deploy Nuvve V2G charging stations along with electric buses at select Blue Bird dealers in multiple states across the U.S.