By Kylie Williams, director of sector innovation at Foresight Canada.

The yellow school bus: it carried us to our first day of school, dropped us off at home on our last, and took us on field trips and camps far and wide. Inside, we made friends and memories, but outside, the familiar scent of exhaust filled the air. 

North America’s iconic yellow school bus has almost exclusively run on fossil fuels for over 90 years, contributing significantly to our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A recent study notes that together with other medium-and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs), school transportation contributes up to 30% of Canada’s GHG emissions from transportation. Reducing emissions while meeting the needs of schools across the country is a challenge—but where there is a challenge, there is opportunity. 

A quiet revolution is underway across Canada as bus companies and school districts transition to electric school buses. This shift isn't just about environmental responsibility—these buses are better for the planet and human health. One company in Vancouver is taking the transition a step further by trialling vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology through a first-of-its-kind pilot project. 

Fuse Power Management is a leader in V2G technology, championing bi-directional electric engines that allow vehicles to function as mobile batteries. Unlike conventional electric vehicles that charge and use all the energy in the battery to run the car, those equipped with V2G technology can charge during off-peak hours, then feed surplus power back into the grid when it’s needed most during peak demand. 

Over the course of 2025, Fuse assembled the pieces and systematically addressed the challenges of setting up a pilot that enables school buses in Vancouver to feed energy back to the grid after their morning and afternoon school runs, simultaneously reducing emissions and alleviating pressure on the grid. This is an incredible example of innovation: it takes a technology that already saves money on fuel and maintenance and makes it even more appealing by allowing bus companies to earn money for the fleet while they’re sitting idle. In this win-win scenario, the buses become a source of revenue for operators, and the electric utility gains access to reliable, flexible, resilient power. 

It’s a simple concept, but it takes a village—especially when establishing a new energy system. Since 2023, Foresight Canada has facilitated a V2G working group through its British Columbia Net Zero Innovation Network, bringing together innovators, industry leaders, utilities, and ecosystem supporters to accelerate the clean energy transition. After a meeting in 2024, Fuse Power Management secured funding from BC Hydro, BC’s power utility, through Foresight’s BC Net Zero Innovation Network. Together with support from NorthX, they are making the V2G dream a reality. 

With Foresight’s support, Fuse began connecting the right people and technologies to assemble the V2G puzzle. After evaluating 11 sites, Fuse landed in Burnaby with a partner in Lynch Bus Lines, a family-run and forward-looking school bus company planning to electrify a portion of its fleet. With two bidirectional electric school buses on loan, Fuse and BC Hydro engineers collaborated to ensure the small fleet could charge, travel, and discharge into the grid, expanding on the already-proven V2G capabilities of a single bus. 

This September, as the school year begins and the iconic yellow buses return to the roads, we’re seeing a new “back to school” story unfold. This V2G pilot is more than just an engineering achievement; it's a powerful statement about our commitment to the future. By transforming the ubiquitous school bus into mobile batteries for a cleaner grid, we’re not just reducing emissions. We’re actively building a more sustainable and resilient future, creating a cleaner world for the students on board and for the generations that will follow. 

Learn more about Fuse’s work to decarbonize BC’s transportation sector through Foresight’s Net Zero Now: The Leaders Shaping BC’s Economy docuseries.