BC Transit says it will not be adding 10 electric buses to its Victoria fleet anytime soon after its original supplier filed for bankruptcy.
In 2022, BC Transit said it was buying 10 electric buses from California-based company Proterra, with the EVs slated to hit the roads of Victoria in fall 2023
But in August 2023, Proterra announced it was filing for bankruptcy, and the company was then purchased by a different California-based automaker, Phoenix Motors.
Since then, BC Transit says it’s had “several discussions” with Phoenix Motors about fulfilling BC Transit’s previous contract with Proterra.
However, BC Transit says that on March 5, a court ruling decided that Phoenix Motors did not have to assume the contract with BC Transit.
“As a result, BC Transit will not receive its first 10 electric buses from Phoenix Motors,” said BC Transit in a release Wednesday.
While BC Transit’s plans have fallen through, the company say it’s still working towards a goal of converting its entire fleet to electric vehicles by 2040.
The company says it opened procurements in 2023 to prequalify other vendors to support EV bus production, charging equipment and other major infrastructure.
“A prequalified list of vendors means a shorter procurement process,” said BC Transit.
“The organization expects to have good news to share about our next steps forward in the coming months.”
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