Technology problems, short ranges, and supply chain issues hinder Cap Metro’s ambitious electrification plan.
Austin’s Capital Metro is pausing its ambitious plan to shift to an all-electric transit fleet, reports Nathan Bernier for KUT News.
Although voters approved funding for an all-electric transit system through the 202 Project Connect, Cap Metro officials are citing issues with the technology, including a significantly shorter range, as the cause the reversal. “Data obtained by KUT through the Texas Public Information Act revealed CapMetro's battery-electric buses are far less reliable than their diesel counterparts. E-buses had mechanical failures on average every 1,623 miles over the last year — less than half the typical distance between failures for the fleet as a whole.”
The two companies contracted by Cap Metro to deliver the electric buses also faced financial troubles and supply chain issues, with one going out of business. Currently, Cap Metro operates 23 electric buses out of a fleet of 402, with 87 buses on order. “Capital Metro now argues that having a reliable transit service, even with diesel buses, is better for the city and the environment than less reliable public transit with an all-electric fleet.”
FULL STORY: CapMetro stops shift to all-electric bus fleet
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