BC Transit's $20M deal for electric buses cancelled after supplier's bankruptcy
A U.S. court ruling has pulled the plug on BC Transit's plans to introduce electric buses to its fleet in the B.C. capital region.
The provincial transit operator had ordered 10 buses from U.S.-based zero-emission vehicle manufacturer Proterra in May 2022, in a deal worth $20 million.
The electric buses were scheduled to roll out across the Greater Victoria region that fall, as BC Transit embarked on a plan to have a fully electric fleet provincewide by 2040.
However, the plan hit a roadblock last summer when Proterra filed for bankruptcy protection and the company's transit assets were bought by California-based Phoenix Motorcars.
BC Transit has since been in negotiations with Phoenix about fulfilling its order for the electric buses. But a Delaware bankruptcy court decision Tuesday found Phoenix has no contractual obligation to supply the vehicles to BC Transit, according to the transit operator.
"As a result, BC Transit will not receive its first 10 electric buses from Phoenix," the transit company said in a release Wednesday.
BC Transit says it will continue to work towards its 2040 electrification goal despite the setback.
"For the past several months, BC Transit has been working behind the scenes to ensure the electrification program moves forward," the transit operator said in the release.
BC Transit has sought to prequalify more vendors of electric buses and charging equipment to meet the first phase of its electrification program, the company said.
"In the meantime, we continue to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by using renewable fuels while we transition to electric buses," the release said.
Last spring, the transit provider started construction on 10 electric bus chargers at the Victoria Transit Centre, anticipating the arrival of the now-cancelled buses. The company says the charging equipment is now "ready to support electric buses from other suppliers" once new contracts are in place.
BC Transit is not out any money after the cancellation of the $20-million deal, "as is consistent with the payment milestones of the contract," the company said in a statement to CTV News.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Feds 'not interested' in investing in LNG facilities: energy minister
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says the federal government is 'not interested' in subsidizing future liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, including the electrification of projects currently in the works.
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
Global measles cases nearly doubled in one year, researchers say
The number of measles cases around the world nearly doubled from 2022 to 2023, researchers say, presenting a challenge to efforts to achieve and maintain elimination status in many countries.
Fair share: the right office solution can take finding the right partner
The rise of remote and hybrid work has made it harder to justify a full office, so more are leaning on co-working spaces that they share with many others for convenience and cost savings. The choice, however, comes at the expense of privacy and control.
What Trudeau's podcast appearances say about the Liberals' next ballot box question
Trudeau recently appeared on four podcasts as he travels the country talking up the Liberals' latest budget, which he's pitching as a plan to inject more economic fairness into society for those under 40 — a cohort that has kept Trudeau in power since 2015 but is increasingly turning to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
California Disney characters are unionizing decades after Florida peers. Hollywood plays a role
California performers are organizing to be represented by a union now, more than four decades after their Florida counterparts did so.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.