Green Mountain Transit says battery recall sidelined five electric buses; agency weighing next steps
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Summary
At a House Transportation Committee hearing on Feb. 17, 2026, Green Mountain Transit told legislators five New Flyer electric buses were limited by a November battery recall (charging capped at 75% and blocked below 41°F). GMT said it did not buy the buses knowing that limitation and is considering whether to continue with battery buses or pursue hybrids after the grant cycle.
Clayton Clark, general manager of Green Mountain Transit, told the House Transportation Committee on Feb. 17, 2026, that a November recall of a battery component has kept five of the agency’s New Flyer electric buses out of service. "We did not purchase these buses, with that limitation," Clark said, describing a manufacturer‑imposed limit that restricts charging to 75% and prevents charging when the battery temperature is under 41 degrees.
Clark said the manufacturer subsequently pulled out of the North American market and that New Flyer technicians have been on site the past two weeks. GMT is "cautiously optimistic" it can return the five buses to service by the end of the month if the retrofit or replacement battery work proceeds as planned. The five buses were part of the first round of a three‑year federal grant purchase; GMT said future deliveries in the multi‑round order will arrive with different batteries.
Why not switch to hybrids? Committee members asked whether GMT should cancel later orders and buy hybrids instead. Clark and staff said grant and federal funding rules make that costly: the federal payback rate and local match differ for electric buses and alternatives, and canceling or changing the order could trigger fees and reduce federal eligibility. That would likely increase GMT’s local match obligations by "probably a few million dollars," the agency said.
GMT also told the committee that the agency’s particular setup — outdoor charging rather than indoor bus‑barn charging — magnified the problem. Clark said New Flyer buses are operating successfully in other jurisdictions but GMT was one of the few New Flyer customers that lacked indoor charging at the outset. GMT is installing indoor charging and hardening the bus barn (sprinkler upgrades and increased water flow) before next winter; once indoor charging is available the agency expects the 41‑degree charging constraint to be less problematic.
The agency said driver and rider experience with the battery buses was similar to diesel buses in many respects and that a brief internal study showed lower maintenance costs in the initial months. At the same time GMT emphasized driver safety upgrades will be specified on future orders: safety doors are optional on purchase orders but GMT plans to require them after reporting multiple assaults on drivers in recent years.
Clark told the committee the agency will reassess whether to continue with battery buses when the next order is due; the decision will depend on how quickly the recalled buses return to reliable service and how the replacement batteries perform. For now, GMT is completing the retrofit work and monitoring costs and operational performance.
The committee heard no final decision and no formal vote. GMT staff said they will report back to the committee as repairs progress and as the grant‑order schedule becomes clearer.
