[Red Badger]

Yes, 15 of the 40 buses damaged in the fire at the SEPTA Midvale depot in Philadelphia were electric. These buses were decommissioned and were in the process of being sold or scrapped. The electric buses were manufactured by Proterra and had not been in operation for several years.

[BobL]

“The electric buses were manufactured by Proterra and had not been in operation for several years.”

SERIOUSLY! They really thought they could leave electric buses outside and not have them go up? TOO DAMN FUNNY. If nothing else, their batteries would have discharged, which, for Lithium Ions, is NOT a good thing.

(but no doubt our resident Greenie will have something to say in defense of them)

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Sure enough! Who would have guessed?

And "The fire included 15 electric buses which had been decommissioned, which SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said could provide a clue to how the fire started. A similar electric bus caught fire in 2022 at a separate SEPTA facility."

How long was Proterra sucking at the federal teat? A LONG time...

• Bush Administration (2001–2009): $49M FTA grant for fuel-cell bus development.
• Obama Administration (2009–2017): ARRA funds, $6.5M FTA research grant, $4.4M DOT grants for bus purchases, $12.5M South Carolina loans, $3M California Energy Commission grant, $7.5M California tax credit (partially recaptured).
• Trump Administration (2017–2021): $10M PPP loan, forgiven in 2022.
• Biden Administration (2021–2025): Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ($5.5B for low/no-emission buses), Inflation Reduction Act battery credits, FTA Low-No program grants (e.g., $104M to WMATA).

Federal and California state support was significant; Proterra filed for bankruptcy in 2023. It proves yet again that government supports weak companies that cannot make it on their own in the marketplace.

[catnipman]

my first guess was that inoperable EV busses caused that fire ...