The City of Albuquerque’s troubled bus system is (like the State) in the process of “electrifying its fleet. After they failed with “Build Your Dreams” the City went with fossil fueled buses, but Mayor Keller hasn’t given up on his dreams of “electrifying” the City’s bus fleet.
The City has 5 buses in its fleet and is planning to purchase another 20 from the bankrupt Proterra bus company by 2026. There are inherent risks involved with buying expensive and complicated products from bankrupt companies. According to a report from the Heartland Institute the bus manufacturing company has caused serious problems in Wyoming:
Eight electric buses purchased by Southern Teton Area Rapid Transit (START) have broken down, and when any of the vehicles will be up and running again is anyone’s guess. Help is not going to be on its way anytime soon because California-based Proterra, the company that manufactured the defective buses, has declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Once a darling of the Biden administration’s vaunted “energy transition,” the company cannot say when – if ever – spare parts will come to the rescue.
It would seem that the City might want to find another company to provide its buses (electric or not). Perhaps Proterra’s sorry track record will convince them?
Businesses fail. Our former president filed for business bankruptcy four times. Perhaps the RGF is correct that Proterra is incapable of providing functional buses but I’d like to see more information. And calling a business the “darling” of the Biden Administration is simple hyperbole. I guess I could just as easily call ExxonMobil the “darling” of the RGF.
I didn’t write the article. The point is that the company cannot get parts to Wyoming. If we are purchasing buses from the same company we are setting ourselves up for the same problems.
What was the campaign contribution level of this corporation to the politicos on both sides Paul?
Likely lots.
From Open Secrets
https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/proterra/lobbying?id=D000065013
All lobbying by Foundations and Corporations for profit or not should be banned by Constitutional Amendment along with an Amendment for term limits and revoking the Income Tax Amendment.