Build Your Dreams 2.0: Albuquerque experiences another electric vehicle fail

Albuquerque residents who have been around more than a year or two probably remember the disastrous rollout of electric ART buses up and down Central Ave. As noted in numerous media reports:

The vehicles didn’t meet their promised battery charge, which meant they couldn’t manage a full day’s service. There were numerous durability and safety issues, including doors opening unexpectedly, malfunctioning brakes, faulty electric wiring, exposed wires, and overheating batteries.

On top of everything else, the charging system for the batteries was defective, and some buses simply could not be charged. Officials canceled the project within months, and the city ended up suing BYD.

Guess what? It’s happened again. This time, thankfully, we’re not talking about huge, expensive buses that are supposed to take people all over town. Instead, this electric vehicle fail involves the new “train” connecting the Zoo and Botanical Garden. Here’s the full story from KRQE Channel 13.

According to the story, “When they launched the shuttle during the River of Lights, it was hampered by electrical issues and needed a new charger.”

“If all goes well with the new charger, it should be within a matter of weeks. If that doesn’t work, we will actually bring the rep from the manufacturer out here to do some onsite diagnosis.”

Meanwhile Sen. Bill Soules (D-Las Cruces) wants to mandate that 75 percent of state vehicles be EV’s and US Senator Martin Heinrich successfully pushed for massive expansion of the Post Office fleet of electric vehicles.