Transit agency stores electric buses to preserve federal grant funds

Green Mountain Transit is keeping two electric buses in storage to avoid repaying a federal grant.

General Manager Clayton Clark stated that the agency cannot dispose of the vehicles without returning the money that funded their purchase.

The transit authority acquired the two Proterra models in 2020 through a federal funding program. Clark noted that the agency spent approximately $18,000 on the buses, with the grant covering the majority of that cost.

Issues surfaced shortly after the vehicles entered service. Clark described the break-in period as never ending and identified the ancillary systems as the primary source of failure rather than the electric battery propulsion system.

"We found that the electric battery propulsion system itself actually works quite well. It was all of the ancillary systems that Proterra really didn’t have a lot of experience in," Clark said.

The manufacturer, Proterra, filed for bankruptcy in 2023. This insolvency ended technical support and parts availability for GMT and other transit providers nationwide. Clark explained that the problems eventually exceeded the agency's internal repair capacity.

"And so, it just got to the point where some of the issues that they were having were beyond our capacity to repair," Clark said.

The Proterra buses now sit in storage at minimal cost. Clark does not anticipate returning them to active service. He suggested that a large transit provider with extensive maintenance staff might eventually specialize in restoring such vehicles.

GMT operates other electric buses that function well and is adding two new units to its fleet this week. The agency is also evaluating hybrid bus options, with the first delivery expected in about 18 months.