Minnesota Cities Went All-In for Electric Transit, But the Buses Couldn’t Handle the Cold (msn.com) 12-26-23
Minnesota Cities Went All-In for Electric Transit, But the Buses Couldn’t Handle the Cold
Furthermore, Duluth's electric bus fleet has provided inadequate comfort by failing to keep riders warm in winter.
Meanwhile, the Twin Cities' fleet has proven comparatively unreliable. In Minneapolis-St. Paul, electric buses have broken down at twice the rate of traditional diesel-powered buses.
All of this leaves the general impression that electric buses lack efficiency and do not meet riders' needs.
The most significant aspect of this story, however -- or at least the one that makes it relevant to readers outside of Minnesota -- involves the perennial unholy alliance between government and business.
In 2021, Metro Transit received a federal grant to purchase a fleet of electric buses from the California-based manufacturer Proterra. Duluth received a similar grant in 2015.
Earlier this year, Proterra filed for bankruptcy despite a public endorsement from President Joe Biden as recently as March 2022.
Now, in addition to malfunctioning or inadequate buses, the Minnesota cities have no immediate vendor.