Majority of Edmonton’s $1 Million Electric Buses Stuck in Shop After Parts Supplier Files for Bankruptcy

A door covers the plug where a Proterra-made battery-powered electric bus is charged, in Miami, Fla., on Feb. 02, 2023. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Three-quarters of Edmonton’s 60-bus electric fleet is in the shop for repairs and may remain there for some time after the city’s primary parts supplier filed for bankruptcy protection.

Proterra, the manufacturer of electric vehicle parts that the city relies on, filed for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in August.

“We have faced various market and macroeconomic headwinds that have impacted our ability to efficiently scale,” CEO Gareth Joyce said.

Edmonton’s public transit system currently has 60 electric buses, according to the City of Edmonton’s website, which says the city “remains highly committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, providing more sustainable transportation and improving the rider experience.”

However, the majority of them are in need of new parts, the CBC reported.

“We’ve had some that have been down for over a year waiting for parts,” Leigh McCabe, a maintenance representative with the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569, told CBC.

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However, the city cannot get new parts due to the supplier’s bankruptcy.

McCabe said that just 16 of the buses were permitted to operate on city streets. He also noted that the electric buses broke down more often than the diesel buses bought around the same time.

According to 2021 city documents, each bus cost about $1.35 million. The documents also say the electric buses “require less ongoing maintenance compared to current diesel buses.”

A spokesperson for Edmonton Transit Service, Carrie Hotton-MacDonald, told The Epoch Times that the city is not able to discuss the specifics of the active legal case.

“The City will continue to take all necessary steps to preserve its rights in the bankruptcy proceedings and ensure Edmontonians can continue to rely on safe, convenient, and reliable transit service,” she said, adding further updates and information would be made available when possible.

The news comes just weeks after Mayor Amarjeet Sohi promoted the city’s transit plan for the future, including the electric bus fleet in a YouTube video.

The City of Edmonton has boasted that its electric buses are “one of the largest in Canadian history.”

Garages were installed with overhead power sources to charge the buses for trips, which is a unique feature for North America, the city said in the video.

Bankruptcy Chapter 11

The particular type of bankruptcy that Proterra has filed for allows for a restructuring of the business, according to the United States Court website. Bankruptcy can take several years to complete, the website said.

Proterra has already started to sell off some branches of its business as part of the proceedings.

The company previously announced plans for more job cuts and said it would combine electric bus and battery production in South Carolina as it looks to trim costs.

The Epoch Times attempted to contact Proterra but did not immediately hear back.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include comments from the City of Edmonton.