Des Moines transit scraps entire electric bus fleet

Catch up quick: DART debuted the pilot program in 2020 to test how zero-emission vehicles would operate in the metro.

• It purchased seven buses for about $865,000 each. A federal grant paid 75% of the cost with expectations that the vehicles would be in its fleet for about a decade.

Zoom in: DART's buses were pulled from service after less than two years because of expiring warranties, critical mechanical failures, safety concerns, and customer and driver complaints.

• Proterra, the California-based manufacturer of the buses, filed for bankruptcy in 2023 and was acquired by another company.

What they're saying: The buses were only operable about 60% of the time, which was far below the 90% standard for typical buses, Welch said.

• The battery life during extreme weather was one of the issues.

• The federal waiver follows repeated failed attempts to resolve major issues with the manufacturer, Welch said.

Yes, but: Although the buses faced reliability problems, the pilot showcased reduced energy costs of about 20% and 60% fewer CO2 emissions than diesel buses, DART noted in a recent blog post.

What's next: DART may sell the buses or transfer them to other transit agencies, depending on their market demand.

• The agency hasn't ruled out an EV bus return as technology improves.
• A test run of different electric buses made by New Flyer and Gillig during two major snowstorms last year had no problems, per the agency's blog.