In the summer of 2020, Don Iveson, then Edmonton’s mayor, announced that electric buses were being deployed by the city’s transit service.

During a news conference at the Kathleen Andrews Transit Garage, Iveson said the new buses were quiet, “super-efficient” and “particularly efficient financially.” Though they cost more upfront — upwards of $1 million each — they were to be about 30 per cent less expensive to service and maintain than diesel buses. Three years later, most of the city’s 60 electric buses aren’t fit to be on the roads. And complicating the situation is the fact that manufacturer is in bankruptcy proceedings in the United States.

More than half of Edmonton’s electric buses need replacement parts, according to Leigh McCabe, a maintenance representative with the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569 and a heavy equipment technician who has worked on the electric buses.

“We’ve had some that have been down for over a year waiting for parts,” he said. A man in a black jacket stands in a public square.

Proterra, the buses’ U.S. manufacturer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this summer and the City of Edmonton has an unsecured claim of more than $8 million US in deferred revenue.In a court filing last month, the city’s U.S. lawyers wrote that Edmonton’s electric buses have failed to meet contract qualifications with respect to range, battery life, reliability and durability.

The document says the range of the electric buses is shorter than Proterra stated — “an issue that is exacerbated in Edmonton’s cold winters” — and there have been problems with the software that controls the vehicles. Because of these problems, the city has incurred damages of $1.3 million US, including hundreds of thousands of dollars in internal labour costs and replacement parts. The city also spent more than $200,000 on “battery blankets” to keep batteries warm and working.

A City of Edmonton spokesperson wouldn’t comment on the legal matter except to say that the city will continue to take all necessary steps to preserve its rights in the bankruptcy proceedings.

Proterra, which is based in California, did not respond to an interview request. A recent press release from the company says its products are designed, engineered and manufactured in the U.S.