Asheville, North Carolina, is considering reinvesting in biodiesel-fueled buses after investing millions of dollars in partially operational electric vehicles. WLOS report.
Cities across the country are beginning to regret their huge investments in electric buses as they continue to pour money into expensive and time-consuming repairs.
Asheville purchased five Proterra electric buses in 2018 for $5 million. Since then, the city has spent more than $200,000 building vehicle chargers. In addition, Asheville spends $118,000 a year on bus battery leases and an additional $45,481 to charge the vehicles, said Jessica Morris, the city's interim transportation director.
”[I]When you add that up, it probably costs between $900,000 and $1 million each. And since then, we have had to invest additional funds in their maintenance and repair,” she added.
Only two of the five EV buses are currently in operation, and the remaining three are out of service pending repairs. The defective bus has had several software and mechanical issues since delivery, according to a city report. One of the buses has been parked since July because the city is unable to obtain a manufacturer's replacement for the broken door.
“We haven't been able to get new doors,” Morris explained. “There is no third party that manufactures the doors. You have to get custom-made doors.”
Morris noted that maintenance costs, including replacing the traction drive controls on all five buses, cost the city an additional $251,000.
Several EV buses will require new power inverters, which will cost $14,000 each, said Maintenance Director John McDaniel.
Proterra filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August after receiving a $10 million coronavirus relief loan from the Paycheck Protection Program in 2020, which was ultimately discharged. The EV company, which President Biden has praised, has also received other government incentives and support.
“Since June 2023, we have experienced a number of issues that have resulted in vehicles being out of service for weeks or even months,” Morris said.
Asheville's two electric-powered buses are experiencing reduced performance during the cold winter months. McDaniel explained that the buses can only travel about 128 miles, the equivalent of about three round trips to the airport, before needing a few hours of charging.
With some buses broken down, the city relies on 32 biodiesel and hybrid buses to transport commuters. The city of Asheville also plans to spend $550,000 each on two biodiesel buses.
“There are certainly some lessons here. We're pausing any investment in electrical technology until we're sure the products we get work reliably,” Morris said. Ta.
Blaze News previously reported that all eight electric Proterra buses were shut down in Jackson, Wyoming in September. The town switched to diesel-fueled vehicles to continue operations. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority invested in 25 Proterra buses, which have been out of service for more than three years.
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