DeKalb GA News

The initiative to introduce electric school buses in the United States, supported by the administration of former President Joe Biden, has faced significant challenges. Various school districts have reported reliability issues with these vehicles and are now seeking assistance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to exit the program.

Pender Makin, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education, expressed concerns in a letter to the EPA. He requested that penalties be waived for not using buses supplied by Lion Electric. "Specifically, we urge the agency to pursue legal remedies, including claw-backs of federal funding or other resources provided to the company," Makin stated.

At least six districts have encountered major problems with Lion Electric school buses acquired through this federal initiative. Yarmouth Schools received two electric buses over a year ago but have seldom used them due to functional issues. Superintendent Andrew Dolloff commented on their situation: "We are trying to work with Lion to have those buses replaced or to receive compensation for those buses, but really not making much progress at this point and time."

Dolloff further explained operational difficulties: "We run them for a day or so and then we get error messages about engine failures or battery failures." The lack of local maintenance support from Lion Electric compounds these issues.

WPFO-TV reported similar challenges across government schools in Maine. The Biden administration allocated $3 billion nationwide for this project, and by last fall, $1 billion had been spent placing 5,000 electric buses on roads—a cost of $200,000 per bus.

The high costs and poor reliability highlight concerns about intervening in market dynamics for political purposes. While electric vehicle technology is improving, it still faces reliability hurdles compared to traditional gas-powered options. This is particularly pertinent in colder regions like Maine where charging can be problematic during winter months.

Despite these issues, the shift towards electric vehicles was encouraged by federal incentives which overlooked potential reliability concerns in pursuit of available funds.