The deep blue city of Austin, Texas, has mothballed its multimillion-dollar electric bus fleet because they don’t have the charging infrastructure to keep them running.
Austin has reportedly put 46 of its new EV buses — that cost the city one million dollars each — in storage in a parking lot because they don’t have the charging infrastructure to keep them powered up, according to Just the News.
The buses were made by an EV company called Proterra, which went bankrupt. This means they probably can’t get parts for the buses, anyway!
The city’s transit board appropriated $255 million to buy 197 electric buses, some of which were manufactured by Minnesota-based New Flyer of America. In July, KUT News reported that Austin’s transit officials were beginning to realize that their ambitious e-bus plan was crumbling.
While diesel-powered buses could run for nearly 24 hours without refueling, an electric bus needed to recharge every 8 to 10 hours, which was creating logistical issues. Drivers doing long routes often had to stop in the middle of the route to go charge, according to KUT, and the city’s hot climates and hills were making it worse.
The buses also experienced breakdowns at more than twice the rate of diesel buses. In 2022, half the buses were broken down, on average, and the figure improved only slightly last year.
Just another electric vehicle disaster boondoggle.
EVs are universally junk. Avoid them.
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