Jackson Buys 8 Electric Buses For Transit System, But None Are Working

A transit system run by the town of Jackson and Teton County set out to replace its diesel buses with electric, but none of the eight electric buses in its fleet are running, and the company that made them went bankrupt.

Kevin Killough
September 26, 2023 • 6 min read



Jackson START EV bus 9 26 23

Teton County and the town of Jackson had set its sights on a low-emission transit system for the county. ... The Southern Teton Area Rapid Transit (START) system, a joint operation between Jackson and Teton County, bought eight electric buses to complement its fleet of 31. ... But none of the electric buses are running, and so the town’s transit system is relying on its diesel fleet.

Bankruptcy

Last month, the electric bus manufacturer that supplied START, California-based Proterra, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that the last of the electric buses went out of service two months ago, and some of the broken buses have been awaiting parts for months.

START Director Bruce Abel told Cowboy State Daily that the agency still isn’t sure when those parts will come or when its electric fleet will be running again. ... “We’re evaluating our options to see how we can work through that and make sure that they can be on the road,” Abel said.

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Bankruptcy stalls electric buses, transit expansion

Proterra, maker of 8 START buses, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, leaving dearth of parts.

By Sophia Boyd-Fliegel Sep 20, 2023



A Proterra electric bus runs a Teton Village START route during a 2019 demo. START worries that company’s bankruptcy will make getting parts even harder.

REBECCA NOBLE / NEWS&GUIDE FILE

All eight of START’s electric buses are out of commission and not expected to return to service soon, as the manufacturer, Proterra, filed for bankruptcy protection last month. ... In Bruce Abel’s nearly two-year tenure as interim and now director of START, he remembers only about five of the eight Proterra buses operational at one time, with that ratio dropping over the summer.

For commuters the broken buses mean that instead of expanding service in Star Valley and Teton Valley, Idaho, START will maintain the current number of trips to and from neighboring counties. Commuters, however, can look forward early October, when six new diesel-powered coaches are set to arrive, featuring plush seats and more room.

Proterra’s complications have not helped START’s ambitious goal of transitioning to 40% electric power. ... The transit organization has been waiting on parts for some buses for months, and the last bus went out of service two months ago. Abel said he’s worried the company’s seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Aug. 7 will push back parts even further.

“They have always been very challenging parts to supply,” Abel said in an interview. “Now with them in bankruptcy, we don’t expect their suppliers to supply them to supply us.”

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Contact Sophia Boyd-Fliegel at 307-732-7063 or sbf@jhnewsandguide.com.

Sophia Boyd-Fliegel
Sophia covers county politics, housing, and workforce issues. A Pacific Coast devotee, she grew up in Washington, studied in California and has worked in Oregon and Alaska.