Electric Buses Versus Winter Weather

Vermont Daily Chronicle brings us a story of Net Zero insanity. 5 GMT E-buses, bought for $8 million, out of service due to fire risk, frigid weather

First it became apparent that the electric battery posed a fire hazard. (I'm shocked) So they cannot be stored in the garage. OK, so that is a problem, but not an issue, except for the fact that you cannot charge the buses if the temperature is below 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, they don't say it clearly, but it appears that the charging infrastructure is only INSIDE. The buses were pulled from service in November.

The buses, manufactured by New Flyer and delivered less than a year ago, were pulled from service in November after the battery manufacturer warned they posed a potential fire hazard. As a result, the electric buses cannot be stored inside GMT’s garage and must remain outdoors, per the January 29 news report by Laura Ullman.

Cold weather has compounded the problem. The buses require temperatures of at least 41 degrees to safely charge, conditions that have been scarce this winter. The vehicles have remained parked outside, dusted with snow, unable to operate.

That is $8 million worth of buses sidelined. And that means that the diesel buses still in service, are working overtime. Leaving little time for maintenance, and no margin for breakdowns or accidents.

“It’s been literally down to our last bus, where if we have another bus that breaks or some other accident that happens, you know, we would have to start canceling service,” said Green Mountain Transit General Manager Clayton Clark.

This the MGUY Australia video 🤡 Clown World! Yet ANOTHER electric bus DISASTER! He covers the story linked above, as well as the fanfare that greeted the buses when they were purchased.

The northern hemisphere winter is peak time for EV bus hilarity because of the cold weather, which invariably either affects range or charging ability. Perhaps electric buses would work okay in the year round warm climates of say Florida or Italy, but the idea that they could replace diesel in countries like the UK or Canada or northern USA is nothing short of insanity.

As MGUY Australia notes in the video, electric buses in Vermont are nothing but virtue signalling. The video is just over 7 minutes.