US EditionLion school bus woes should make Quebec revisit electrification plan, critics say
The withdrawal of 1,200 Lion electric buses after multiple fires raises concerns over Quebec's electrification policy and government subsidies favoring one manufacturer, critics say.
- On Monday, the Quebec government pulled 1,200 Lion electric school buses from roads, leaving many routes cancelled after a Montreal bus fire last week and prompting inspections linked to wiring issues.
- The policy roots date to a 2021 mandate requiring electric new school buses, aiming for 65 per cent electrification by 2030, with subsidies favoring Canadian assembly making Lion the main beneficiary; after seeking creditor protection in December, Lion was bought by Quebec investors this spring.
- Operators warn that Andrew Jones canceled 20 Lion bus orders and reports unreliability with eight buses, while annual support dropped from $12,900 to $5,000 per vehicle.
- Critics urged the Quebec government to revise electric-bus subsidy rules amid the Quebec federation of bus operators' call of a 'chaotic sequence' and carriers being 'at their wits' end' Monday.
- In recent months, Lion's acquisition by Quebec investors and a series of negative headlines followed three Lion buses catching fire last year; 1,200 Lion buses were subsequently withdrawn.
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Lion school bus woes should make Quebec revisit electrification plan, critics say - Montreal
Many school bus routes in Quebec remained cancelled Monday following the government's decision to pull all Lion buses out of service after a bus in Montreal caught fire last week.
Lion school bus woes should make Quebec revisit its electrification plan, critics say
The abrupt withdrawal of 1,200 Lion electric school buses from the roads in Quebec is prompting renewed criticism of the provincial government's approach to electrification — and of its decision to give one local company a virtual monopoly.
Quebec bet big on Lion electric school buses. Now critics say the plan has backfired
MONTREAL — The Quebec government’s aggressive push to electrify its school bus fleet — while giving one local manufacturer a virtual monopoly — could now be turning school bus operators off electric vehicles and delaying the transition, critics say. The abrupt withdrawal of 1,200 Lion electric school buses from Quebec roads after a bus in […]
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