As organizations continue this drive toward green energy, you can count on Synop to keep pace with ever-changing policies and regulations in our ongoing development of software and services to support fleet electrification.
Go green ― and pocket some green. That’s one of the main premises behind a climate plan recently approved by the state of New York that aims to reward companies that limit their emissions ― and penalize those who don’t.
In granting Governor Kathy Hochul the authority to enact a wide range of climate policies, the initiative focuses on ways to best meet state-mandated emissions reductions, including electrifying millions of vehicles, homes and businesses, investing in energy efficiency improvements, and building thousands of megawatts of new renewable energy projects.
Approved in December, the plan is integral to New York’s goal to slash emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. A focal point will be the implementation of a cap-and-invest program, modeled after California’s cap-and-trade system, slated to combine a mixture of mandates and incentives to help persuade companies to go green.
The initiative, which would place a statewide limit on emissions allowances, provides organizations that support electric vehicle (EV) fleets with a significant opportunity to create new revenue streams and tap into new ones such as vehicle-to-grid (V2G) orchestration. In doing so, these companies can utilize the cap-and-trade program to sell credits to less efficient companies who fail to meet mandates, such as fuel wholesalers, oil producers and other potential energy hoarders.
As New York embarks on this aggressive roadmap to lower emissions, Synop is uniquely positioned to support the effort. We understand that deploying and scaling electric fleets comes with complex challenges, such as how to optimize operations, billing and energy management, as well as oversee disparate vehicles, chargers, telematic sources and utility communication standards. By providing scalable, smart charging for commercial fleets, smart depot charging, energy management and EV operations all in one place, we are leading the journey to fleet electrification ― and invite you to come along for the ride!
Headquartered in New York and a leader in V2G orchestration, Synop is poised to empower the industry by accelerating the transition to electric commercial fleets with software that connects vehicles, chargers and the grid. Our sustainable solutions not only help regulate energy, but also provide new financial opportunities for fleets to lower emissions to comply with new regulations and even generate excess carbon credits to sell to others.
New York’s cap-and-invest program represents a profitable prospect for companies and operators looking to electrify their fleets and join the movement to reduce emissions, with supporters hoping that similar measures will be adopted in other states. As organizations continue this drive toward green energy, you can count on Synop to keep pace with ever-changing policies and regulations in our ongoing development of software and services to support fleet electrification.
Interested in learning about Synop's software platform for commercial EV fleets? Click "Book A Demo" at the top righthand side of this webpage and fill out the form today!
This year, we are excited to share our participation in exhibiting at a diverse range of industry events related to commercial EV fleet applications.
This year, we are excited to share our participation in exhibiting at a diverse range of industry events related to commercial EV fleet applications. These tradeshows and conferences are valuable places to not only showcase our cutting-edge software solutions but also engage with professionals from around the globe. We hope to connect with you at these events as we demonstrate our shared commitment to driving innovation and shaping the future of transportation. Be sure to stay connected with us on LinkedIn and Twitter for updates on specific event details.
Thomas Built Buses Dealer Meeting
EV Charging Summit (EVCS)
Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS36)
A lot can happen in a year, especially when you’re a startup. As we look back over the last 12 months here at Synop, it’s an opportunity to celebrate both the growth of the EV industry and the strides we took as a company.
A lot can happen in a year, especially when you’re a startup. As we look back over the last 12 months here at Synop, it’s an opportunity to celebrate both the growth of the EV industry and the strides we took as a company. We’re energized by seeing real EV-adoption progress, and we’re grateful for a year in which we built momentum through significant funding, strategic partnerships, and greater public awareness.
In 2022, our breakthrough platform emerged as a leading solution to optimize EV transportation logistics and fleet management operations. This was achieved through several internal milestones and collaborative partnerships that strengthened our core offering and unlocked a future independent of fossil fuels.
In June, we announced our $10.1 million seed funding round in TechCrunch. The feature, penned by Tim de Chant, takes a deep dive into how our software platform makes it possible to manage the complex logistics involved with electrifying commercial fleets. Led by leading climate tech VC Obvious Ventures and with participation from Wireframe Ventures, Congruent, and Better Ventures, the round fueled our efforts in attracting talent, customers, and commercial partners.
We ended the summer with a media blitz highlighting our partnership with Highland Electric Fleets, Thomas Built Buses, Proterra, and Rhombus on a pilot program in Beverly, MA. The program activated two electric school buses equipped with battery systems to provide more than seven-megawatt hours (MWh) of energy to the electric grid. To put that in perspective, seven-megawatt hours (MWh) is enough to power the average American home for 8 months or power the average electric car to drive over 25,000 miles.
In the Fall, CNBC came by our NYC HQ to see our technology for themselves and learn how Synop is powering Vehicle-To-Grid (V2G) advances. In a feature story on the network’s Clean Start segment, co-founder Andrew Blejde shared how Synop’s technology can take an electric school bus with an energy-dense battery and use it like a large-scale battery backup to fuel the grid.
Those are just two highlights of a pro-active media push across the second half of the year in which Synop was highlighted in more than 250 media stories, including nine full feature articles.
And the Winner is…
As the success of our efforts garnered media attention, we also saw award recognition come our way in 2022. Validation of this sort speaks to the hard work of all our teams, who work so hard to develop our industry-leading solutions.
In September, Synop won Juniper Research’s 2022 Future Digital Award for the Best Urban EV Charging Solution. This win recognized our work to modernize the performance of EV operations for our large commercial fleet and OEM partners, ultimately helping them meet their sustainability commitments.
We were also honored as a Best Tech Startup in New York City finalist in the 2022 Timmy Awards for our agility, innovation, and resilience, as well as the outstanding work environment we’ve built for our team.
Looking Toward 2023
We’ve come a long way in 2022, but we’re just getting started. The journey to fleet electrification might be long, but we’re picking up speed. 2023 promises to be another exciting year filled with even more partnerships, innovations, and events. We hope you’ll continue to be part of the journey with us.
CNBC's Diana Olick joins 'Power Lunch' to share the story of Synop. This vehicle-to-grid startup can supplement the electrical grid with solar energy during high energy consumption periods
CNBC's Diana Olick joins 'Power Lunch' to share the story of Synop. This vehicle-to-grid startup can supplement the electrical grid with solar energy during high energy consumption periods
Electric school buses in Beverly, Massachusetts provided energy back to the electricity grid for more than 80 hours this summer — helping to reinforce the grid during some of the hottest summer days when electricity was most in demand.
Electric school buses in Beverly, Massachusetts provided energy back to the electricity grid for more than 80 hours this summer — helping to reinforce the grid during some of the hottest summer days when electricity was most in demand. Working with technology partners Thomas Built Buses, Proterra, Rhombus, and Synop, Highland Electric Fleets, the leading provider of fleet electrification-as-a-service, activated two Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley® electric school buses equipped with Proterra Powered™ battery systems to provide more than seven megawatt hours (MWh) of energy to the electric grid as part of a commercial vehicle-to-grid (V2G) program with National Grid. Over 32 grid events this summer, Highland’s Beverly V2G deployment demonstrated the viability of electric buses as V2G resources, providing a template to scale the service at additional deployments in Vermont, Maryland, Colorado, California, Virginia and beyond.
“Electric school buses are ideal assets for V2G applications,” said Sean Leach, director of technology and platform management at Highland. “Nearly 500,000 school buses in North America spend most of their time parked. Fossil fuel-powered buses provide no value when idle. Electric buses, on the other hand, can be used effectively as mobile batteries when not transporting students to provide additional power that supports grid stability and resiliency. We’re excited to work with top-tier partners to scale V2G programs and benefits to other communities.”
Utilities can reduce emissions by using electric school buses as distributed energy resources (DER) when energy demand spikes, rather than firing up conventional fossil fuel resources for short periods of time. The Beverly deployment is providing essential data that will enable National Grid and other utilities to scale similar V2G programs in the future for more sustainable energy systems.
This is the second summer that electric school buses in Beverly have served as V2G assets: in 2021, Highland coordinated the same partners to use a Proterra Powered, Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley® to send around three MWh of energy back to the grid over nearly 60 hours spanning 30 events. The cumulative 10 MWh the buses have sent to the grid makes a meaningful contribution to the energy mix and alleviates strain on the electric system. According to the state of Massachusetts, the average residential customer uses approximately 500 kWh per month — about 17 kWh per day. The 10 MWh (10,000 kWh) from the buses is enough to power nearly 600 homes for a day.
“Communities across the country are transitioning to a 100% clean energy and clean transportation future. Electric school buses can play an important role in driving this switch — bringing a cleaner, quieter mode of transportation for our students while also supporting a more local and resilient energy system by delivering stored energy back to the grid when it’s needed most,” said Chris Bailey, president of Proterra Powered & Energy. “We’re proud to partner with Highland Electric, Thomas Built Buses, and our other partners to help shape a cleaner, more sustainable future that’s powered by Proterra.”
The Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley couples 226 kilowatt hours (kWh) of total energy capacity from Proterra’s industry-leading battery technology with a Proterra electric drivetrain to offer up to 138 miles of drive range to meet the needs of school bus fleets.
Rhombus Energy Solutions’ 60 kW high-powered DC fast charger, certified to UL 1741-SA standards, meet rigorous requirements to ensure safe and reliable operation, and can provide bidirectional charging capabilities for up to five school buses per power control system.
Synop provides fleet managers an end-to-end solution that helps regulate energy on the grid and provides new financial opportunities for fleets. Between charging management, route planning, and energy monitoring and V2G orchestration, Synop automates EV operations at scale and accelerates commercial electrification.
“For cities looking to optimize their energy grid, V2G is a breakthrough technology, and its full capacity is only realized when it can be applied to EV fleets,” said Gagan Dhillon, co-founder and CEO of Synop. “A cross-organization collaboration of this nature is crucial to unlocking that capacity and producing the tremendous environmental and economic benefits.”
About Highland Electric Fleets
Highland Electric Fleets is the leading provider of electrification-as-a-service for municipal and government fleets in North America. Founded in 2018, Highland offers a unique suite of products that make it simple and affordable for school districts, governments, and fleet operators to upgrade to electric fleets today. Whatever the customer’s need, Highland delivers a seamless experience, with all the equipment and services needed to keep a fleet running smoothly. By partnering with Highland, communities can improve local health, stabilize fuel costs, lower carbon emissions, eliminate noise pollution, and support grid resiliency with commercial vehicle-to-grid solutions. Active in 30 states and Canada, Highland is responsible for the largest electric school bus deployment in the United States. To learn more, visit https://highlandfleets.com.
Media Contact:
Rick Liebling
VSC on behalf of Synop
synop@vsc.co
The idea of electric vehicles as a mainstream mode of transportation, for both people and goods, seemed fanciful not that long ago. Now, EV manufacturers are household names and charging stations seem to be popping up like mushrooms in shopping center parking lots and mall garages around the country.
The idea of electric vehicles as a mainstream mode of transportation, for both people and goods, seemed fanciful not that long ago. Now, EV manufacturers are household names and charging stations seem to be popping up like mushrooms in shopping center parking lots and mall garages around the country.
We all know the transition away from fossil fuels is critical to our environment, but EVs can make an important contribution to our energy future through Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology as well. With V2G, various types of electric cars such as battery electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and others can interface with the power grid in order to provide demand response services by delivering two-way electricity exchange. What does that mean for you and me? It means that when city power grids are taxed, especially during the hotter months, EVs can provide additional energy back to the grid, supplying much needed electricity that can power homes and keep grids from failing.
Recently, Synop was part of a pilot program in Beverly, MA, along with Highland Electric Fleets, Thomas Built Buses, Proterra, and Rhombus which activated two electric school buses equipped with battery systems to provide more than seven megawatt hours (MWh) of energy to the electric grid. To put that in perspective, seven megawatt hours (MWh) is enough to power the average American home for 8 months or power the average electric car to drive over 25,000 miles!
In total, the initiative generated energy back to the electricity grid for more than 80 hours this summer, providing relief to what can be an otherwise taxed system during some of the hottest summer days when electricity was most in demand.
For our part, Synop provided our end-to-end solution that enables charging management, route planning, and energy monitoring and V2G orchestration to help regulate energy on the grid. At the same time, it also provides new financial opportunities for fleets.
With nearly 500,000 U.S. school buses spending most of their time parked, Vehicle-to-Grid initiatives represent an unprecedented opportunity to address energy problems that are already an issue in many areas, and will likely continue to be so as we feel the effects of warmer temperatures due to climate change. This Massachusetts-based V2G collaboration provides a model to scale to additional deployments in Vermont, Maryland, Colorado, California and Virginia. We’re excited about those opportunities to further collaborate with our partners and continue to show real world utilization of V2G technology that can have a significant impact on how energy is deployed and transferred for the good of all.
To learn more about this collaboration and the pilot program, check out this School Bus Fleet Magazine article, and be sure to visit our website for more information on how Synop is leading the V2G charge.
Synop.ai an end-to-end electric vehicle fleet operations platform, announced today that it raised $10.1 million in Seed funding, led by leading climate tech VC Obvious Ventures, with participation from Wireframe Ventures, Congruent, and Better Ventures.
Amazon Web Services, Citi, JPMorgan, and Volvo Financial Services alums are developing architecture to put EV charging, operations and energy management on autopilot for commercial fleets, OEMs, and energy companiesSynop’s platform utilizes AI to power insights into telematics and logistics to expand viability of commercial EV fleetsWith funding led by Obvious Ventures and additional climate tech VCs Wireframe Ventures, Congruent, and Better Ventures, Synop plans to scale operations & meet the needs of the $15B industry
Synop.ai an end-to-end electric vehicle fleet operations platform, announced today that it raised $10.1 million in Seed funding, led by leading climate tech VC Obvious Ventures, with participation from Wireframe Ventures, Congruent, and Better Ventures. The round will support attracting talent, customers, and commercial partners looking to make the switch to EVs.
The market for energy-optimization services to support the charging of electric-vehicle fleets is estimated to reach a value of $15 billion by 2030. Factors driving market growth include rapid corporate transition into commercial EVs and climate regulation resulting in significant commercial EV investments by countries worldwide.
However, vehicle fleets like school buses, semi-trucks, rental cars, and government vehicles face many obstacles when integrating new EVs, including power price volatility, charging mixed fleets, and extended charging times. Despite those challenges, the largest-ever order of electric school buses is currently in production, and school bus fleets nationwide have announced plans to electrify in the next decade.
With a mission to help simplify the transition to EVs, co-founders Gagan Dhillon and Andrew Blejde built Synop to support all commercial EV types and charging infrastructures. Synop puts EV operations on autopilot, bridging charging, fleet operations and energy management in a single, unified platform to take care of all fleet electrification needs.
When EV bus fleets such as Highland, an EV school bus operator, leveraged Synop’s platform, they successfully scaled their operations 10x year-over-year through simple and effective charging management, route planning, energy monitoring, and telematics information insights.
“The electrification of transportation is a massive undertaking, especially with companies operating large fleets. Synop is addressing the biggest, hidden infrastructural barriers for companies looking to make and manage that transition seamlessly," said Obvious Ventures Managing Director Andrew Beebe.
“We’ve been impressed with the team’s extraordinary responsiveness and speed in deploying solutions for fleet customers,” said Wireframe Ventures Managing Partner, Paul Straub. “Their API-driven approach easily integrates data across vehicles, charging infrastructure and corporate operating priorities to ensure customers can confidently deploy and realize the benefits of fleet electrification.”
Based on his experience at REIN as Vice President of Business Development, where he helped create mobility and commercial auto insurtech solutions with the world’s leading OEMs and insurance companies, Synop CEO Gagan Dhillon developed the concept for Synop with Co-founder Andrew Blejde, a former Amazon engineer, to address the emerging market opportunity for commercial EV fleets that need support to scale.
”Companies no longer have to be convinced that EVs are the best option for their fleet. The challenge now is creating an infrastructure to sustainably support this mass adoption,” said Gagan Dhillon, Co-Founder and CEO of Synop. “We built Synop to supply the universal operating system for EVs, unlocking the potential for a future that isn’t dependent on fossil fuels.”
About Synop
Synop is an end-to-end EV software platform that bridges charging, fleet operations, and energy management into a single, intuitive solution to take care of all fleet electrification needs. By providing telematics integration, smart routing, and AI-driven forecasting tools, Synop makes charging more accessible, reduces the administrative burden on fleet managers, and enables fleets to scale with multiple vehicle classes and charging partners quickly. To learn more, visit https://synop.ai.
Media Contact
Rick Liebling
VSC on behalf of Synop synop@vsc.co
Highland Electric Fleets, the leading provider of full-service school bus electrification subscriptions in North America, and Synop, an AI-based, single-platform management service for commercial electric vehicle (EV) fleets, have entered into a long-term strategic partnership to seamlessly and efficiently manage complex EV fleet charging, grid connection, and fleet operations.
BEVERLY, Mass. & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Highland Electric Fleets, the leading provider of full-service school bus electrification subscriptions in North America, and Synop, an AI-based, single-platform management service for commercial electric vehicle (EV) fleets, have entered into a long-term strategic partnership to seamlessly and efficiently manage complex EV fleet charging, grid connection, and fleet operations. Through the partnership, school districts, fleet owners, and third-party fleet management companies can focus on delivering children to school in a safe, quiet, and clean environment while services including smart charge management, fleet operations, AI-driven forecasting tools, and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) optimization are all managed effortlessly in the background. The partnership brings value-added benefits to districts choosing Highland, allowing them to stay on budget and electrify their fleet at a pace that works for them.
“We’re excited to partner with the market leader in school bus electrification to help enable the electric transition and set the standard for operating electric school buses at scale."
The integration of Synop supports Highland’s pioneering full-service subscription model, which includes everything a school district or fleet operator needs to electrify their fleets. Highland provides the school buses, installs charging infrastructure, supports driver and mechanic training and long-term bus maintenance, and more. Synop’s back-end platform manages fleet-wide V2G controls and complex coordination between vehicles, utilities, and energy markets to ensure that fleets with Highland subscriptions provide the maximum benefit to both customers and the grid, without the need for customer intervention. Customers who want deeper visibility into fleet operations can use Synop to see their vehicles in real-time throughout the day and track their state of charge and fleet performance, among other things.
These powerful tools allow Highland to build V2G and other ancillary services into its subscriptions, lowering the cost for customers and ensuring that vehicles are always ready for their daily routes and also able to support the local electric grid when needed. In addition, the interoperability of the Synop platform allows Highland to offer its customers the bus manufacturer of their choice.
“Synop lets us deliver a seamless experience for our customers, with detailed fleet information for customers who want that visibility. By managing vehicle uptime, charging, and complex data on fleet operations for any brand of electric bus, Synop’s sophisticated technology enables us to deliver on our promise to customers that they will have a reliably charged electric school bus every school day,” said Highland CEO, Duncan McIntyre. “This partnership with Synop enables Highland to offer districts a comprehensive subscription that enables them to focus on what they do best - delivering children safely to and from school without having to manage the complexities that come with EV charging.”
“We’re excited to partner with the market leader in school bus electrification to help enable the electric transition and set the standard for operating electric school buses at scale,” said Gagan Dhillon, Synop’s CEO. “This partnership will help Synop deliver our technology to school districts all across North America and enable them to rapidly transition away from diesel-powered buses. We look forward to working with Highland and offering easy-to-use charging and energy management solutions to districts across the country”
About Highland
Highland is the leading North American provider of subscriptions that make school bus fleet electrification affordable today. By managing design, construction, financing, and charging, and training school district drivers and mechanics on operation and maintenance, Highland empowers customers to transport students on fully charged, clean electric buses every school day. Highland was awarded the largest active school bus electrification project in North America to date, through Maryland’s Montgomery County Public Schools, and delivered New England’s first vehicle-to-grid (V2G) application using an electric school bus. To learn more, visit https://highlandfleets.com.
About Synop
Synop is an end-to-end EV fleet and charging management platform built to scale the adoption of commercial electric vehicles across fleets. By combining electric vehicle telematics with charging and energy management, the company has built a best-in-class operations platform set to power the future of electric fleets across North America. Interoperability is core to the company's technology, enabling fleets to scale with multiple vehicle classes and charging partners quickly. To learn more, visit https://www.synop.ai/.
Media contacts
Mission Control Communications
highlandelectric@missionc2.com
Gagan Dhillon
gdhillon@synop.ai
