Latest news with #Proterra
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Cause of massive fire at SEPTA bus depot found: officials
The Brief SEPTA says a battery on one of the electric buses sparked the huge blaze at the SEPTA bus depot in Nicetown. A massive fire erupted at SEPTA's largest bus depot on Thursday, damaging 40 decommissioned buses. NICETOWN - After a huge fire broke out at SEPTA's largest bus depot in Nicetown on Thursday, officials have determined a cause for the fire. What we know A spokesperson for SEPTA stated that the Philadelphia Fire Department said a battery in one of the electric buses set off the massive fire Thursday at their largest bus depot, in Philly's Nicetown neighborhood. Residents living near the bus depot were urged to stay indoors while firefighters fought the blaze, due to air quality concerns. Philly's Health Department gave the all-clear for air quality on Friday. The backstory Firefighters were called to the Midvale SEPTA Bus Depot around 6 a.m. after employees reported a fire in the decommissioned bus lot. Investigators said the fire reached 3-alarms and torched about 40 buses, many that haven't been used in years, including former electric buses. SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said the lot is used to store 100 buses that have been or are in the process of being decommissioned. He provided some insight into the decommission process, saying the buses' batteries are disconnected, and the mechanical fluid is drained. 16 of the burned buses are electric, made by the Proterra Company. SEPTA is battling in court in part over an earlier fire. SEPTA said the nine remaining electric buses at the depot are going away. Big picture view Meanwhile, the Health Dept. said the fire caused a rise in the amount of particulate matter, both PM 2.5 and PM 10, and released benzene, ethylbenzene, and carbon monoxide into the air. The levels of those pollutants were recorded at their highest point in the early morning on Thursday, June 5, while the fire was still burning. Those levels were reduced once the fire was brought under control, though residents were not advised to resume normal activities until Friday afternoon. No other details were released about the battery.
Axios
08-04-2025
- Automotive
- Axios
Des Moines transit scraps entire electric bus fleet
DART is disposing of its entire electric bus fleet after federal officials recently granted a waiver of its financial interest in the vehicles, transit spokesperson Sarah Welch tells Axios. Why it matters: The decision means the agency does not have to pay back as much as $2.85 million in federal grants for removing the buses from the road about seven years early. It also abruptly ended the metro's high-profile electric bus pilot project and added to a growing list of transit agencies that have pulled electric buses from service due to persistent reliability and safety concerns. Catch up quick: DART debuted the pilot program in 2020 to test how zero-emission vehicles would operate in the metro. It purchased seven buses for about $865,000 each. A federal grant paid 75% of the cost with expectations that the vehicles would be in its fleet for about a decade. Zoom in: DART's buses were pulled from service after less than two years because of expiring warranties, critical mechanical failures, safety concerns, and customer and driver complaints. Proterra, the California-based manufacturer of the buses, filed for bankruptcy in 2023 and was acquired by another company. What they're saying: The buses were only operable about 60% of the time, which was far below the 90% standard for typical buses, Welch said. The battery life during extreme weather was one of the issues. The federal waiver follows repeated failed attempts to resolve major issues with the manufacturer, Welch said. Yes, but: Although the buses faced reliability problems, the pilot showcased reduced energy costs of about 20% and 60% fewer CO2 emissions than diesel buses, DART noted in a recent blog post.
Miami Herald
20-02-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
South Florida's fleet of electric buses cost $126 million. Only a few are still running
Miami-Dade and Broward spent $126 million to purchase 117 electric buses and build charging stations for the new clean, green fleet. It was a forward-thinking solution intended to save South Florida money and cut back on fossil fuel buses that spew pollution and contribute to climate change and health problems. Today, few of the EV buses remain on the road. Most broke down in under a year, pulled from routes while awaiting a backlog of maintenance work. Adding to repair headaches, Proterra — the California-based company that manufactured the buses — has since filed for bankruptcy, leaving the counties with a parts shortage and a bunch of vehicles they've been unable to fix. How badly have the EV fleets short-circuited? In Miami-Dade, depending on the day, only five to seven of the county's 75 EV buses are in service. In Broward, none of Broward's fleet of 42 EVs buses managed to run routes earlier this month. 'We put a bus into service when we know it will perform reliably,' Coree Cuff Lonergan, Broward's director of transportation, told the Miami Herald. 'And with the EVs that doesn't happen often.' In a filing included in Proterra's bankruptcy filing, Broward reported that the EV buses broke down every 600 miles — more than seven times as frequently as the county's aging diesel fleet, which typically needs maintenance every 4,500 miles. It's not just South Florida where the Proterra buses have been plagued by problems. Batteries are freezing up in Chicago. Austin is storing its entire fleet in a garage. Ashville couldn't get the parts to fix a broken door. And the Biden administration recalled hundreds of them for risks of catching on fire. No parts, no repairs The most pressing problem is a shortage of parts, both counties say. 'It's like let's say Apple went out of business — If your iPhone breaks down, you might be able to get it fixed with a third-party company but if it's glitching and a software issue you're probably out of luck because the only person who could fix it would be Apple,' said Matt Lichtash, a New York-based principal consultant for electric transportation at PA Consulting. Proprietary technology in the buses poses another complication. Not just any mechanic can fix them or debug software systems. That isn't just a problem for South Florida or American EV fleets. When one EV startup shutdown in China, drivers could no longer access an app that controlled the locks and AC or even see the mileage and battery status on the dashboard. A new company called Phoenix EV purchased Proterra's transit bus manufacturing business in Feb. 2024 , which includes 1,200 EV buses delivered across North America. Phoenix did not return calls or emails from The Herald but in press releases last year signaled it was prepared to address the backlog of repairs and parts. 'We have already identified attractive growth opportunities as we add transit buses to our product offering and we look forward to servicing Proterra Transit's existing customers and developing long-term relationships with them.' But it will be the first time the company, which manufacturers medium-duty vehicles, has taken on heavy-duty buses. And Broward, for one, has doubts about the supply chain. The majority of the county's buses have been waiting for more than a year on parts and pending warranty service. In Proterra's bankruptcy filing, Broward's county attorneys wrote, 'Phoenix lacks the financial capability to perform on its contracts, especially the warranty provisions.' The EV buses were significant purchases, paid for mainly with transportation sales taxes with the help of state and federal grants. Miami-Dade, where the tax is a half penny, spent $72 million for 75 buses. Broward, which charges a full penny, contracted to pay $54 million for 42 buses. Phoenix has taken some steps to retain business with the counties. The Anaheim-based company agreed to extend the warranty of all 75 of Miami-Dade's buses and reduced the price of 13 of Broward's buses by $100,000, a discount of $1.3 million. But Broward still owes money for 11 of the buses pending delivery and the county has serious concerns with the company's 'empty promises.' The county's transit department said they're refusing their arrival. 'We're more than skeptical,' Longeran said. 'We're not paying for something that doesn't work.' Currently the graveyard of EV buses is spread between three bus yards in Miami-Dade and two facilities in Broward. On Wednesday morning, Miami-Dade's transportation department showed the Herald the EV buses parked at the Coral Way Maintenance Facility. While other buses at the facility were heading out for the day, or getting paint touch ups in the garage, the 17 EV buses were parked in the back corner. None of them were plugged into the Proterra chargers. One had its hood left open revealing its battery and other components. On the side of each was a sticker that said 'your half penny at work.' An industry in its infancy EV buses are a nascent industry — there are only about 6,000 electric buses around the U.S. and 1000 of those are school buses, said Pavel Molchanov, an analyst at Raymond James, an investment banking company that has looked into energy-related industries for 20 years. 'Making an electric bus is not rocket science but the adoption curve has been slow, and the number one reason is they're expensive. When the entire supply chain isn't developed, it can be difficult to get parts and services,' Molchanov said. Proterra apparently wasn't prepared for the potential potholes the business would face. The company's quarterly financial filings for 2023 reveal the company lost money on each bus that was sold. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed under former President Joe Biden earmarked $5.6 billion for electric bus grants. Stan Cross, electric transportation director with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, said a primary intention of the federal funding was to reinvest in American manufacturing to be able to build out a durable supply chain for electric vehicles and batteries. 'I think it's a recognized challenge that needs to be solved,' Cross said. 'These maintenance issues with legacy Proterra transit buses are problematic for the cities dealing with them. Still, from a market perspective, they are bumps in the road to electrification we can learn from.' But it's not clear how the program will continue under the Trump administration, which has already cut the Biden administration's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Pit stop not a dead end For now, the plan to electrify the fleet is technically in place in both counties. But the transportation director of Broward said the experience has them interested in exploring other avenues for greener, cleaner transportation. Broward hired a team of engineers who will complete an assessment on the electric buses that will be ready in a year to determine what the options are moving forward. Miami said it participates in a parts-sharing program with bus maintenance professionals across the country that discuss the Proterra fleet issues and opportunities for the transit properties to swap parts. The arguments for EVs remain the same, particularly when it means phasing out older, dirty diesels. Researchers at Harvard found that each school bus may save up to $247,600 in climate and health benefits per bus from air pollution. And they're just better, said Preston Gilyard, who has driven buses for 12 years in Miami-Dade. While he doesn't get to drive them often, when they work, the electric buses are, 'the top of the line.' 'The braking, the acceleration, it's a better ride and it's a lot quieter,' Gilyard said. 'It's like the Cadillac of the fleet.' And some cities that went with other manufacturers have had better luck. Hallandale Beach, the first South Florida city to offer zero-emission rides on its entire fleet, bought from BYD, a company founded in 2003 in China. The replacement of Hallandale's five gas-fueled shuttle buses with nine EV buses has cut wait times in half and expanded routes. The buses, which have been on the road for 10 months now, have undergone routine maintenance repairs under warranty, but are all still fully operational, Aimee Adler Cooke, a spokesperson for the City of Hallandale Beach said. READ MORE: This city has South Florida's first fully electric bus fleet. You can ride for free In 2024 the The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) acknowledged in an online meeting the challenges with four major bus companies declaring bankruptcy or leaving the market. They have since updated their guidelines on purchasing buses as a result of this, which includes revised payment structures. Miami-Dade said it took those guidelines into consideration when purchasing 100 electric buses from New Flyer, a Canadian bus manufacturer. So far, 17 have been delivered and can be charged in the existing stations that went into the ground for the Proterra fleet. Many of those New Flyer buses will be used to operate the Department's new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service along the South Miami-Dade Transit Way, which will open later this year as the longest battery electric BRT system in the nation at 20 miles, the transportation department said. 'New Flyer is one of the oldest bus makers and has a stellar reputation across its vehicle lines,' Luis Espinoza, spokesperson for the transportation department wrote to the Herald. READ MORE: What is the South Dade Transit Way? Will buses be faster? New Flyer is a manufacturer Miami-Dade is familiar with. The county also bought 560 New Flyer renewable gas buses to phase out their diesel fleet. New Flyer also has reduced the number of parts on their new battery enclosure design by 90% going from 250 to less than 50 parts. The idea is a bus with fewer parts should be easier to fix. Miami-Dade insists that the parked EVs do not effect the bus schedule or routes. But in 2021, Robert Villar, who at the time was Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works director of finance and budgeting, said to Miami Today that the EV buses will, 'especially be distributed to undeserved communities.' Wendell Morrison, a Liberty City resident who has taken the bus for as long as he can remember, said regardless of the reason, fewer buses on the road is a problem. 'It's not fair,' Morrison who was taking the Route 77 bus north on Tuesday said. 'The elderly can't get to the stops. It's hot. Nobody listens.' This climate report is funded by the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald retains editorial control of all content.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Electric-truck maker Nikola files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
Nikola said Wednesday it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and would pursue a sale of all or most of its assets, after grappling with rapid cash burn and struggling to raise funds in the past few quarters. The development brings to a close a challenging journey that included numerous leadership changes, choppy sales and a plummeting share value. EV firms that went public during the pandemic, promising to revolutionize the sector, such as Fisker, Proterra and Lordstown Motors have filed for bankruptcy in recent years as funding for the capital-intensive operations dried up due to high interest rates and flagging demand. Nikola said it decided to initiate a sale process of its assets to maximize value and ensure an orderly wind down. The firm will continue some operations for trucks in field and some hydrogen-fueling operations through the end of March. The company listed assets of between $500 million and $1 billion, and estimated its liabilities were between $1 billion and $10 billion, according to a court filing. Phoenix, Arizona-based Nikola was founded more than a decade ago. It went public in June 2020 and delivered its first vehicle in the December of the following year. In October 2022, a New York jury convicted Nikola founder Trevor Milton on federal charges of securities fraud and wire fraud. Prosecutors in the US Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York had accused Milton of making false and misleading statements about 'nearly all aspects of the business' as it pertained to developing electric and hydrogen-powered trucks, as well as defrauding the public through social media and podcast interviews. The case revolved, in part, around the Nikola One, a prototype of a hydrogen-powered semi-truck. According to prosecutors, Milton claimed the vehicle 'fully functions and works, which is really incredible' even though it was missing important parts and systems, including motors and a control system. In 2018, Milton posted a video on X that showed the truck seemingly cruise down a flat road. But it was all smoke and mirrors, prosecutors say. 'In fact, to film these clips, the Nikola One was towed to the top of a hill, at which point the 'driver' released the brakes, and the truck rolled down the hill until being brought to a stop in front of the stop sign,' the Department of Justice wrote in the release Monday. Milton was sentenced in 2023 to four years in prison for lying to investors about the company's hydrogen and electric truck technology. Industry veteran Stephen Girsky, who was an analyst at Morgan Stanley and an executive at General Motors, took over as the company's chief executive officer in August 2023. He was then the company's fourth CEO in as many years. It was through his special purpose acquisition company, VectoIQ Acquisition Corp, that he took Nikola public. Nikola ramped up production of its hydrogen-powered fuel-cell electric trucks in 2024. But the company struggled to raise funding and its cash balance dwindled as it continued to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars for every vehicle sold. Fleet operators have been hesitant to spend on setting up charging stations and inducting electric trucks, as high interest rates pinched budgets, hurting companies such as Nikola. Sign in to access your portfolio
CNN
19-02-2025
- Automotive
- CNN
Electric-truck maker Nikola files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
Nikola said Wednesday it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and would pursue a sale of all or most of its assets, after grappling with rapid cash burn and struggling to raise funds in the past few quarters. The development brings to a close a challenging journey that included numerous leadership changes, choppy sales and a plummeting share value. EV firms that went public during the pandemic, promising to revolutionize the sector, such as Fisker, Proterra and Lordstown Motors have filed for bankruptcy in recent years as funding for the capital-intensive operations dried up due to high interest rates and flagging demand. Nikola said it decided to initiate a sale process of its assets to maximize value and ensure an orderly wind down. The firm will continue some operations for trucks in field and some hydrogen-fueling operations through the end of March. The company listed assets of between $500 million and $1 billion, and estimated its liabilities were between $1 billion and $10 billion, according to a court filing. Phoenix, Arizona-based Nikola was founded more than a decade ago. It went public in June 2020 and delivered its first vehicle in the December of the following year. In October 2022, a New York jury convicted Nikola founder Trevor Milton on federal charges of securities fraud and wire fraud. Prosecutors in the US Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York had accused Milton of making false and misleading statements about 'nearly all aspects of the business' as it pertained to developing electric and hydrogen-powered trucks, as well as defrauding the public through social media and podcast interviews. The case revolved, in part, around the Nikola One, a prototype of a hydrogen-powered semi-truck. According to prosecutors, Milton claimed the vehicle 'fully functions and works, which is really incredible' even though it was missing important parts and systems, including motors and a control system. In 2018, Milton posted a video on X that showed the truck seemingly cruise down a flat road. But it was all smoke and mirrors, prosecutors say. 'In fact, to film these clips, the Nikola One was towed to the top of a hill, at which point the 'driver' released the brakes, and the truck rolled down the hill until being brought to a stop in front of the stop sign,' the Department of Justice wrote in the release Monday. Milton was sentenced in 2023 to four years in prison for lying to investors about the company's hydrogen and electric truck technology. Industry veteran Stephen Girsky, who was an analyst at Morgan Stanley and an executive at General Motors, took over as the company's chief executive officer in August 2023. He was then the company's fourth CEO in as many years. It was through his special purpose acquisition company, VectoIQ Acquisition Corp, that he took Nikola public. Nikola ramped up production of its hydrogen-powered fuel-cell electric trucks in 2024. But the company struggled to raise funding and its cash balance dwindled as it continued to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars for every vehicle sold. Fleet operators have been hesitant to spend on setting up charging stations and inducting electric trucks, as high interest rates pinched budgets, hurting companies such as Nikola.
