Valley Transportation Authority Advanced Transit Bus Vehicle-Grid-Integration Project: Implementing Smart Charging on Bus Transit Agency’s Electrifying Bus Fleet

The Advanced Transit Bus Vehicle-Grid-Integration Project brought together national leaders in advanced transit and energy systems, targeting critical real-world needs to scale, exploring revenue-generating grid services, and managing electric transit fleets and charging assets.

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (Valley Transportation Authority) plans to meet California’s statewide objective of a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2040. Electrification is an essential part of that strategy and requires a shift in vehicle type and changes in energy and fueling strategies, operations, and other business factors. This was a $3 million project that developed and demonstrated advanced charging controls and reduced costs by using an integrated, smart charging platform. The project also supported the Valley Transportation Authority’s long-term electric-bus infrastructure strategy for comprehensive bus electrification.

The project was led by Prospect Silicon Valley, and partners included the Valley Transportation Authority, Proterra, Trapeze, National Renewable Energy Lab, ChargePoint, Clever Devices, CALSTART, and NOVAworks. The 3-year project leveraged the Valley Transportation Authority’s commitment to purchasing up to 10 all-electric buses as the first step toward electrifying its nearly 500 bus fleet. The project team built on the strategies, technologies, and partnerships from numerous existing vehicle-grid integration efforts to implement a world-class electric transit fleet showcase and significantly advance California’s clean energy mandates. The project included robust workforce development and statewide engagement of transit and technology leaders to accelerate broad adoption of the advanced strategies demonstrated.