Dr Pallav Prakash is a brilliant individual. He is a strategist and self-made leader in sustainable and innovative technologies that will serve the future. Prakash is a powerhouse who had a humble start in the Indian Navy. He now drives innovation, strategy, growth, and partnerships at several organizations through program management. His current work is an impressive goal to deploy Electric Vehicle (EV) school buses at scale in the US K-12 education system. And have them contain a Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) system that connects the buses to a community's electric grid, harvesting and storing energy to use as needed—a move towards a cleaner and healthier future for schoolkids and their neighborhoods.
It is this distinguished individual that I had the pleasure of speaking to about the evolution of the very technology he is working with and his experience while driving towards this goal.
When did you first interact with EV technology?
It was during my time in the Indian Navy. I was a submarine officer. And the Navy's submarines were predominantly battery-operated. It made me comfortable with the technology.
And I guess you've continued working with this technology until now?
Exactly. All my life, I have worked on battery systems. The types have changed, of course, but I have worked with whichever battery is most current. It's an old phenomenon, battery use. For war machines. And space exploration. Solar panels charge batteries for space rovers.
Compared to that, using it for school buses seems so simple...
Yes, deploying it on land is far easier. And I would say that had I not been in the Navy, I wouldn't have been comfortable using and deploying the technology today. Experience and knowledge about something always help you work with said something.
You do have an impressively vast portfolio of experience, especially on the educational front. How has that impacted your current work?
I have more than two decades of experience working with battery technology. It's been supplemented by my many academic ventures. My MBA from Johns Hopkins University and my post-grad certificate in 'Business Management' from IIM, Lucknow, have supplemented my business knowledge. My doctorate in 'Innovation and Strategy' from Westcliff University taught me how to work with innovations in technology. It's all set me up to deploy EV in the K-12 school bus system at scale in the US, where V2G is an in-built solution to offset costs.
It must be a huge venture to overcome the cost of deployment. Who helps with that?
The government. State and Federal agencies, as well as other connected institutions, play lead roles in offsetting costs and making newer technology deployable. And they have worked hard to deploy cleaner technologies. It helps the goals of non-public entities such as myself. I can help and impact the government's aim for a cleaner future, supporting the generations of today and tomorrow. For that, I am truly thankful to these various governmental agencies.
That does sound very helpful, especially since EV technology has changed much over time. What are your thoughts on this evolution?
In the development of any type of technology, it is often an endeavor to support the unmet needs of the customer. It is one of the fundamentals of tech deployment. To do that, you have to provide a value proposition to the customer. For EV tech, which has undergone fundamental changes, one of these values is the ability to provide cleaner energy. Another is the use of artificial intelligence to support the mission of clean energy, which is critical due to the deployment of transportation systems being done at scale.
So, changes in EV technology relate to the value they provide users. Like the drivers or school districts?
That's right. One thing I've seen change is manual directions. Now, computers are used, and AI is leveraged for deployment. It takes the burden off drivers and mechanics and allows them to accept the changes more easily. Another is how combining various platforms offsets costs and supports the energy needs of the community at large, especially during peak hours. So, it's not just providing clean energy and transportation but bringing different individuals and groups into the mission of a cleaner future.
Teamwork truly makes the dream work.
Yes. And that is one of the things I have learned in all this. Teamwork is not a function of desire but a collaborative environment where all stakeholders play an important part. From the school districts where the ideas have been sold to communities with whom ideas have to be hashed out. From utilities that import and export energy sources to companies specializing in EV-based hardware and software. And finally, the individuals involved, the drivers and mechanics, the school kids, and their communities. Everyone has to be on board.
Would you say that's been your biggest learning lesson?
As we say in the Navy, "We all swim together." That is the beauty of teamwork.
What about your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge would have to be bringing everyone into the mission, and the learning curve has been particularly steep. There are many differences in culture, knowledge, ways of thinking, ideas for solutions...Bringing everyone together despite these differences is hard. But it is something that must be done because when everyone works together, the light at the end of the tunnel seems so much brighter than if you were alone. I suppose to put it simply, there are just so many stakeholders involved in this project. I had to think about how to work with all of them to support the future of society- our children.
That is quite insightful. On an end note, what drives your passion for this project?
I think about the future and how our children will shape it. And I think if future generations can benefit from a technology that impacts well-being, then I have achieved my aim. That is what gives me satisfaction.
[Dr. Pallav Prakash currently works as a Program Manager at Zum Services Inc., leading the EV vertical and initiative on the Net Zero Transition. He is also a judge at Stanford University for the subject of 'Value creation for the Real Economy,' as well as a mentor to the students at the Blum Center for Developing Economies, University of California at Berkeley. Pallav is an alumnus of The Johns Hopkins University and Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, India.]
