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
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
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.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
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.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
It's 30 years since apartheid ended. South Africa's celebrations are set against growing discontent
South Africa marked 30 years since the end of apartheid and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony in the capital Saturday that included a 21-gun salute and the waving of the nation's multicolored flag.