Vermont officials botched their electric bus plan by pushing the green agenda over riders' needs in freezing winters. They grabbed federal cash without testing how batteries fail in cold snaps.
Green Mountain Transit (GMT) leaders charged forward, landing vehicles that stall with the mercury falls, leaving commuters to pay the price for choices that prioritized virtue signaling over reliable transport.
Bureaucrats ignored warnings about fire risk and range drops, dumping millions into a mess that stranded people.
In spring 2025, Green Mountain Transit purchased five New Flyer SE40 electric buses, while taxpayers shelled out $8 million, with federal grants and Volkswagen funds footing 90%.
Officials locked in seven more for 2027 and an additional seven for 2028, ignoring all diesel options over three years, while pursuing Federal Transit Administration grants that excluded traditional buses from 2020 to 2024.
If Vermont opted to walk away from the electric deals, any money would be stopped, blocking redirects.
General manager at Green Mountain Transit (GMT), Clayton Clark, is worried about money.
“In September 2025, we ordered 7 additional buses with a 2027 delivery date ... and 7 more slated for delivery in 2028,” Clark said. “This is the primary source of new buses for the next three years, as we have only 3 diesel buses anticipated.”
“Canceling the federal grant for electric bus purchases would result in us losing the grant funds,” Clark said. “It would not give us an opportunity to use the funds differently.”
“We will work with FTA to see if the grant can be modified for year 3 since those buses haven't yet been ordered,” Clark said.
Officials Ignore Cold Reality
If you live in a region where winter turns brutally cold, you're aware of how much money small companies make when they jump-start stalled cars.
Vermont isn't any different.
Frigid weather tanks these buses; they won't charge below 41 ºF after New Flyer's software updates. The update limits charges to 75% and bans low-temp top-ups to dodge fires.
Before the software update, buses could reach 100% in any temperature. The change was prompted by a November 2025 battery recall that flagged battery packs as hazards. Because of the fire hazards, the buses can't be recharged in garages. Burlington averages mid-20s in cold months, and the buses ran smoothly until the recall, but now, services have nearly ground to a halt.
Officials were aware that Vermont's winters demanded rugged rides, but they bought the buses anyway, swallowing the hype that skipped battery science.
Spokesman for energy workers advocacy group Power the Future, Larry Behrens, told The Center Square: “Taxpayers were sold an $8 million ‘solution’ that can’t operate in cold weather when the home for these buses is in New England.”
“We’re beyond the point where this looks like incompetence and starts to smell like fraud,” Behrens said.
“When government rushes money out the door to satisfy green mandates, basic questions about performance, safety, and value for taxpayers are always pushed aside,” Behrens said. “Americans deserve to know who approved this purchase and why the red flags were ignored.”
Officials gambled with taxpayer money, leaving low-income riders scrambling for alternatives. When the weather turns cold, batteries quickly, something decision-makers ignored, sparking a controversy that created charges of gross negligence.
Taxpayers Foot Reckless Bills
Clark is scrambling to salvage the situation, hunting for payouts from New Flyer, and eyeing court fights.
Replacement batteries take 18 to 24 months to arrive, and Clark is demanding fast fixes, claiming the makers can ignore the software block.
Daniel Turner, executive director at Power the Future, said that each bus costs around $1.5 million, yet completely fails in expected winter conditions, blasting Biden-era subsidies for wasting billions on idle fleets and oversight errors.
Bigger Battery Messes
School districts in Vermont operate electric buses and are aware of huge winter-range dips. The newer rides double the upfront cost of diesel, and some outright fail in the cold.
Blue Bird bus models have the most issues in the cold, losing up to 25% of their range. Buses average around 76 miles per charge, topping daily needs of around 32 to 37 miles.
Mountain winters with 20-inch snow and 12 ºF lows become struggles.
During the Biden years, mandates were forced on people while the pitfalls were ignored, with fires, charges, and weather stacking up. While officials chase dreams, riders shiver.
Bureaucracy used to throw money at green goals, ditching sense, highlighted by bus issues in Vermont, while swallowing marketing pitches whole and ignoring blizzard facts. Riders need dependable rides, not pricey flops that freeze.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) hasn't responded to any requests from local media.
Huh, imagine that.
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