{"id":425561,"date":"2026-02-10T16:43:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T15:43:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=425561"},"modified":"2026-02-10T16:43:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T15:43:36","slug":"vermonts-green-dream-hits-ice-electric-buses-unusable-below-41f-this-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=425561","title":{"rendered":"Vermont\u2019s Green Dream Hits Ice: Electric Buses Unusable Below 41\u00b0F This Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Two
Green Mountain Transit EV buses out of commission<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GMT operates a small fleet of five battery-electric buses manufactured by New Flyer, which were acquired in early 2025 using approximately $8 million in mostly federal grants (each bus costing over $1.5 million). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These were intended to replace older diesel models as part of broader efforts to reduce emissions in public transit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These buses functioned adequately until November 2025, when a battery recall was issued due to a fire hazard risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Buses
Green Mountain Transit EV buses out of commission<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

____________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Just The News<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Tate Miller<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Electric buses are proving unreliable this winter for Vermont’s Green Mountain Transit, as it needs to be over 41 degrees for the buses to charge, but due to a battery recall the buses are a fire hazard and can’t be charged in a garage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spokesman for energy workers advocacy group Power the Future Larry Behrens told The Center Square: \u201cTaxpayers were sold an $8 million \u2018solution\u2019 that can\u2019t operate in cold weather when the home for these buses is in New England.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re beyond the point where this looks like incompetence and starts to smell like fraud,\u201d Behrens said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen government rushes money out the door to satisfy green mandates, basic questions about performance, safety, and value for taxpayers are always pushed aside,\u201d Behrens said. \u201cAmericans deserve to know who approved this purchase and why the red flags were ignored.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

General manager at Green Mountain Transit (GMT) Clayton Clark told The Center Square that \u201cthe federal government provides public transit agencies with new buses through a competitive grant application process, and success is not a given.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom 2020-2024, the [Federal Transit Administration\u2019s] priority for grants had been low or no emission vehicles, with grant requests for diesel buses often not awarded,\u201d Clark said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis was part of a concerted effort of the previous administration to accelerate public transits’ migration to replace diesel buses,\u201d Clark said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo be competitive for a grant, GMT\u2026saw electric battery buses as the pathway to get the newest buses,\u201d Clark said. \u201cGreen Mountain Transit’s priority is new buses, regardless of the type.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clark informed The Center Square that GMT\u2019s \u201celectric battery buses are 90% paid for by federal and Volkswagen settlement funds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GMT received five New Flyer SE40 city buses in spring 2025, these buses being a part of \u201ca three-year grant cycle for 19 total electric battery buses,\u201d Clark said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn September 2025 we ordered 7 additional buses with a 2027 delivery date (but will be delivered with different batteries [than the recalled ones]), and 7 more slated for delivery in 2028,\u201d Clark said. \u201cThis is the primary source of new buses for the next three years, as we have only 3 diesel buses anticipated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCanceling the federal grant for electric bus purchases would result in us losing the grant funds,\u201d Clark said. \u201cIt would not give us an opportunity to use the funds differently.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe will work with FTA to see if the grant can be modified for year 3 since those buses haven’t yet been ordered,\u201d Clark said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clark also explained that the five electric buses were \u201coperating well\u201d until November 2025 when the batteries \u201cwere recalled for fire hazard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recall prompted a software update from New Flyer to \u201cdecrease the likelihood for fire\u201d that \u201cincluded only allowing the bus to charge to 75% and to not allow charging when the battery is below 41 degrees,\u201d Clark explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPreviously we could charge in any temperature to 100%,\u201d Clark said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As GMT\u2019s bus garage \u201cdoes not have suitable fire mitigation equipment to store or charge an electric bus indoors at this time,\u201d the transportation system is unable to use its electric buses when temperatures hit below 41.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSince the barrier to charging under 41 degrees is simply a software update, the manufacturer could find a technical solution that could resolve the problem this week,\u201d Clark said. \u201cWe are seeking a financial remedy from New Flyer that could lead to litigation if not resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNew Flyer has indicated that replacement batteries will be installed within 18-24 months,\u201d Clark said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clark also noted GMT is working on improving its fire mitigation equipment via a \u201cpending federal grant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Policy analyst at the Institute for Energy Research William Rampe told The Center Square that: \u201cThe failure of Green Mountain Transit’s EV buses further highlights the problems with investing in electric vehicle fleets without considering the conditions and infrastructure they need to operate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn Vermont’s case, the cold temperatures of the winter months, alongside the risk of EV batteries catching on fire, make their new bus fleet unusable, putting the level of service GMT provides at risk,\u201d Rampe said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis failure adds costs to taxpayers, either by requiring GMT to invest in adequate replacements or by forcing its riders to find alternate means of transportation, which could be especially difficult for low-income riders,\u201d Rampe said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rampe told The Center Square that he and those at the Institute for Energy Research \u201cdo not believe EVs are reliable in most situations, as the failure of these buses shows.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEVs may work fine for drivers who have easy access to charging infrastructure and don’t drive long distances, but for most Americans, limited charging infrastructure, high costs, faster rates of depreciation, and limited range make them an inferior product compared to gas-powered vehicles,\u201d Rampe said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rampe also noted that the idea that electric buses are \u201csustainable\u201d is a failing point \u201cbecause EVs’ heavier weight and faster acceleration increase particulate emissions from tire wear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senator Bernie Sanders\u2019 media relations have not yet responded to The Center Square\u2019s two requests for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GMT operates a small fleet of five battery-electric buses manufactured by New Flyer, which were acquired in early 2025 using approximately $8 million in mostly federal grants (each bus costing over $1.5 million). These were intended to replace older diesel models as part of broader efforts to reduce emissions in public transit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":425569,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"Vermont's Green Mountain Transit faces challenges with electric buses this winter, risking service and taxpayer funds amid safety concerns.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"Vermont's Green Mountain Transit Faces EV Bus Reliability Issues","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":true,"token":"eyJpbWciOiJodHRwczpcL1wvY2xpbWF0ZS1zY2llbmNlLnByZXNzXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDI2XC8wMlwvMFNjcmVlbnNob3QtMjAyNi0wMi0xMC0xNjM3MTctMTAyNHg1MTkucG5nIiwidHh0IjoiVmVybW9udFx1MjAxOXMgR3JlZW4gRHJlYW0gSGl0cyBJY2U6IEVsZWN0cmljIEJ1c2VzIFVudXNhYmxlIEJlbG93IDQxXHUwMGIwRiBUaGlzIFdpbnRlciIsInRlbXBsYXRlIjoiaGlnaHdheSIsImZvbnQiOiIiLCJibG9nX2lkIjoxNTU4MTI0NDl9.ubL6KDn2ik3fEIdjptfAjK-ER2IMQsp2oJQ7VnqBoJsMQ"},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691841320],"class_list":{"0":"post-425561","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-green-mountain-transit-gmt","10":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-10-163717.png?fit=1686%2C854&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1MHT","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":440278,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=440278","url_meta":{"origin":425561,"position":0},"title":"$96 Million to Nowhere: South Florida\u2019s Stranded Electric Bus Fleet","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"04\/18\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The bankruptcy directly contributed to the issues in Miami-Dade (69 buses for $61.8 million) and Broward (31 buses) fleets. 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