The Electric Bus Debacle in Antelope Valley: A Case Study in Premature Policy Implementation

[rangerrebew]

The Electric Bus Debacle in Antelope Valley: A Case Study in Premature Policy Implementation
14 hours ago Charles Rotter 

The sudden suspension of electric battery bus services in Antelope Valley two weeks ago has unveiled significant challenges and pitfalls associated with the rush towards electrification of public transit systems, without adequately addressing reliability and infrastructure issues.


This event has left hundreds of commuters stranded, highlighting the essential gaps in planning and risk management that are too often overlooked in the fervor to adopt green technologies.

The Incident
On a seemingly ordinary Tuesday, the Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) halted all operations involving their fleet of MCI D45 battery-electric commuter coaches. This decision, made “out of an abundance of caution and for reasons outside of AVTA’s control,” abruptly affected the daily routines of countless individuals who rely on these buses for work, school, and other critical appointments. The suspension, importantly, did not impact AVTA’s local service nor their use of BYD zero-emission battery electric buses, suggesting a specific issue with the MCI D45 models.

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/04/28/the-electric-bus-debacle-in-antelope-valley-a-case-study-in-premature-policy-implementation/

[SZonian]

100's? I live in this area and my anecdotal observations are that it's more likely a few dozen who are affected.
The last study on ridership that I could find was done in 2012. There, they claimed 11k per day across all routes.
Oh, and you'll be glad to know that out of a total budget of ~$25M the feds subsidize this one by about $8M annually.

[mountaineer]

I mentioned before how the govt foisted electric buses on a particular school bus company in SW Pa. that provides contract services to several school districts. The company received absolutely no information or training on how to maintain the vehicles - it was just "here are your electric buses, you have to use them, have fun." I guess they're scrambling in the garage to figure out what to do with them. Meanwhile, they're expected to take these things over the hilly, winding roads of rural communities in all types of weather.