February 18, 2026
Cold buses, hot comments
Vermont EV buses prove unreliable for transportation this winter
They won’t charge under 41°F — cue blame, battery brawls, and taxpayer fury
TLDR: A recall update means Vermont’s new electric buses can’t charge below 41°F and are sidelined in winter, igniting a fierce comment war. Readers split between blaming “box-checking” green grants and calling out biased outrage, while tinkerers tout cold‑friendly batteries and others note even diesel buses struggled in Vermont’s ice.
Vermont’s electric buses just hit a cold snap—literally. After a battery recall, Green Mountain Transit says a software update now blocks charging below 41°F and caps it at 75%, and the buses can’t be charged indoors due to fire-safety gear they don’t have. Cue the comments section turning into a blizzard of takes. One camp is fuming that taxpayers paid millions for buses that tap out in a New England winter, with dramatic cries of “incompetence” and even the F-word: fraud. Another camp fires back that it’s unfair to hype that angle by quoting a fossil-fuel–aligned group, calling the outrage performative.
The policy drama is juicy: GMT says federal grants pushed “low or no emissions” vehicles, so to win new buses they went electric—90% paid by federal and Volkswagen settlement funds—and you can’t just swap that money to diesel. That sparks the big fight: box-ticking climate mandates vs. real-world Vermont winters. Some locals add a twist: even old diesel buses struggled in Vermont’s icy hills, so the problem’s bigger than batteries.
Meanwhile, the DIY engineers arrive with solutions. One suggests sodium‑ion batteries for serious cold; another points to new aluminum‑based chemistry promising better winter performance. GMT says replacement batteries are 18–24 months out and they might seek legal remedies. The memes write themselves: “Get these buses a parka,” “Florida buses in a Vermont winter,” and a chorus of “who approved this?”
Key Points
- •A battery recall led New Flyer to issue a software update that prevents GMT’s electric buses from charging below 41°F and caps charge at 75%, hindering winter operations.
- •GMT cannot charge electric buses indoors because its garage lacks adequate fire mitigation; combined with the software limits, buses are often unusable in cold weather.
- •GMT received five New Flyer SE40 buses in spring 2025 as part of a three-year grant for 19 electric buses; seven more are due in 2027 (with different batteries) and seven in 2028.
- •GMT says federal and Volkswagen settlement funds cover about 90% of the bus costs; FTA grant priorities from 2020–2024 favored low/no-emission vehicles over diesel.
- •GMT is seeking a financial remedy from New Flyer and may litigate; New Flyer expects replacement batteries in 18–24 months, and GMT is pursuing a grant to add fire mitigation equipment.