Several recently acquired electric school buses have been pulled off the road as a result of potentially dangerous malfunctions and premature signs of wear.
According to the Kennebec Journal, the buses in question were manufactured by the Canadian-based company Lion Electric and provided at no cost through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) $5 billion Clean School Bus Program that was launched in October of 2022.
As part of this program, school districts in Winthrop, Bingham, Mount Desert Island, and Yarmouth, among others, were given Lion Electric buses as part of the nationwide goal of electrifying 75 percent of the public school fleet by 2035.
For each electric bus received, the districts reportedly agreed to give up one of their current diesel-powered buses.
Buses in both Winthrop and Vinalhaven have reportedly exhibited wear consistent with older, higher-mileage vehicles — not those that have been driven less than 1,000 miles.
Winthrop officials told the Journal that these buses “came with misaligned or incorrect wording on the side of the buses” and had leaky windshields within six weeks.
In December, Winthrop Superintendent Jim Hodgkin told the Journal that when it rains, the windshields let in water and made the glass seem like it’s “not securely in place.”
“Every time there is precipitation, they leak. Every time. And as you can imagine, electricity and water do not mix well and we can’t take the chance if it’s leaking. We just can’t drive it,” Hodgkin said.
Once the power steering mechanism failed, the officials reported realizing that “the problems were more serious than thought.”
Over the summer, the Maine State Police Vehicle Inspection Unit noted a number of problems, ranging from loose body rivets and an inoperative driver’s auxiliary fan to a power steering hose that rubbed on a bracket and a malfunctioning rear emergency door check.
Vinalhaven’s electric school bus has been identified as having side body damage in the form of broken rivets and a lack of wheel chocks, which are blocks that prevent the bus from rolling when parked.
According to the Journal, three of the four buses have been sent to Quebec — where Lion Electric is based — for repairs, and the vehicle experiencing steering failure was sent to Louisiana for an “autopsy.”
While these vehicles are repaired, Lion Electric is responsible for covering the rental fees associated with temporarily replacing the buses.
Electric buses purchased by school districts using funds from the federal EPA grant going forward will be from Thomas Built Electric Buses and supplied through W.C. Cressey & Son Inc. in Kennebunk, the Journal reported.
News of these complications have come amidst an on-going controversy over the Maine Board of Environmental Protection’s (Maine BEP) efforts to adopt new California-style regulations that would require 82 percent of new cars sold in the state be electric by model year 2032.
[RELATED: Electric Vehicle Mandate Slated for March Hearing as Mills Touts EV Charger Investments]
Although the BEP was originally scheduled to vote on the adoption of these rules just days before Christmas — on December 21, 2023 — the meeting was canceled due to a deadly and destructive storm that took place several days prior and left nearly half the state without power.
As a result of the delay, the Maine BEP amended the proposed rule changes to cut the first year of implementation from the program, which was originally intended to begin in 2027 with a requirement that 43 percent of new car sales be comprised of EVs.
[RELATED: Mills Admin Delays Electric Vehicle Mandate Vote Due to Storm Emergency]
Because of this “substantial change,” the Maine BEP reopened the public comment period for the proposal, accepting input from Mainers until February 5, 2024.
Maine BEP Executive Analyst William F. Hinkel told the Maine Wire that the Board has “tentatively scheduled further rulemaking on the proposed [Advanced Clean Cars II Program] for a meeting on March 20, 2024, at the Augusta Civic Center.”
Looks like the electric buses had the same quality controls that the “vaccines” had and which particular political party supports both EVs and the death jabs using subsidized taxpayer dollars? “Liberalism (progressivism not classical liberalism) truly is a mental disorder.”
Hahahahahahaha! Electric buses, trucks and cars are just a joke. These things can’t perform in anything but perfect sunny weather and then not for long. If these things were so great why would buyers need federal grant money to buy them? Why are “unelected” people that are the BEP being allowed to make such profound decisions? They can go pound sand in my book. And take the stupid Mills with them. All just hard leftist trash we have to put up with.
Why are our elected officials not working for Mainers instead of cozying up to the lunacy being spewed from the Blaine House? Currently, EV mandates are premature and ill advised. Does anyone serving in Augusta have the courage to push back on bad policy? If not, why are they there?
I though Joe was bring jobs back to America That is what Joe said Senator King! He is The party lie person you support.
This is easy – electric vehicles are not feasible now and won’t be feasible in the future and the short truth is that democrats destroy everything that they touch, Mills is no exception.
I truly think the intention of going green was to backrupt American companies and of course launder some money back to the dems. A utility in Connecticut is taking a $1.2 billion loss on its wind farm project.
From a Thomas Sowell column:
This is ultimately not about the environment but about egos. As T.S. Eliot said, more than fifty years ago: “Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don’t mean to do harm — but the harm does not interest them. Or they do not see it, or they justify it because they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves.”