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

September 27, 2023, 08:26 AM

EVs, the far-from-ready-for-prime-time Leftist wet dream.

quote:
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.

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 on and 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.

Cowboy State Daily link

September 27, 2023, 08:48 AM

Bytes

I'm no expert on EVs but I would think that they wouldn't work that well during the winter months in Jackson, even on their best days. Don't they lose their charge much faster in very cold weather?

September 27, 2023, 08:52 AM

Rick Lee

This money needs to come out of the personal pockets of the politicians who voted for it.

September 27, 2023, 08:56 AM

TMats

quote:
Originally posted by Bytes:
I'm no expert on EVs but I would think that they wouldn't work that well during the winter months in Jackson, even on their best days. Don't they lose their charge much faster in very cold weather?

Yes, from the linked article: “[Southern Teton Area Rapid Transit Director, Bruce] Abel said that during the summer months, the buses would go all day without needing a charge. When the temperatures dropped, the batteries would lose considerable range. Not only does it not provide as much power, the bus has to be heated, which places further demands on the battery.”

September 27, 2023, 09:06 AM

RichardC

Ahhh, the good old days. Things were better.

September 27, 2023, 09:10 AM

architect

quote:
Originally posted by Rick Lee:
This money needs to come out of the personal pockets of the politicians who voted for it.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HAHAHAHA! Good luck with that!

September 27, 2023, 10:09 AM

arabiancowboy

quote:
Originally posted by Rick Lee:
This money needs to come out of the personal pockets of the politicians who voted for it.

Agreed. Until there is personal accountability for terrible decisions made by government officials nothing will change. While this is a difficult challenge and it sure looks hopeless, life is not static and things will change. Accountability within our government is a simple philosophy that is popular with most people across party lines. I think it can catch on, and there is no reason to be hopeless or discouraged, we just have to persistently repeat the same message and point out examples.

September 27, 2023, 10:11 AM

V-Tail

quote:
Originally posted by RichardC:

Ahhh, the good old days. Things were better.

I remember riding the Flatbush Avenue trolley in Brooklyn, when I was a kid.

September 27, 2023, 10:13 AM

CoolRich59

quote:
Originally posted by Rick Lee:
This money needs to come out of the personal pockets of the politicians who voted for it.

If only. However, this is another confirmation of Margaret Thatcher's aphorism: "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples' money."

_____________________________________________________________________
“Civilization is not inherited; it has to be learned and earned by each generation anew; if the transmission should be interrupted for one century, civilization would die, and we should be savages again." - Will Durant

September 27, 2023, 10:16 AM

bcereuss

quote:
Originally posted by arabiancowboy:
quote:
Originally posted by Rick Lee:
This money needs to come out of the personal pockets of the politicians who voted for it.

Agreed. Until there is personal accountability for terrible decisions made by government officials nothing will change. While this is a difficult challenge and it sure looks hopeless, life is not static and things will change. Accountability within our government is a simple philosophy that is popular with most people across party lines. I think it can catch on, and there is no reason to be hopeless or discouraged, we just have to persistently repeat the same message and point out examples.

I've been beating this drum for years. All elected officials should be required to carry malpractice insurance-at their own expense-to cover the fallout their harebrained schemes cause.

This goes for public servants as well-there is no accountability for rogue law enforcement acting outside their bounds, nor is there accountability for government employees instituting harebrained schemes or making poor decisions that inevitably end up costing the taxpayers.

September 27, 2023, 10:17 AM

mcrimm

And the initial purchase was only $287,250 each according to the link above. I bet that doesn't include the charging hookups. I've been to Jackson many times and it's a cold SOB.

September 27, 2023, 10:21 AM

TMats

[Paul Vogelheim, former Teton County Commissioner] said with a good supply of natural gas available, the transit system should have looked into natural gas vehicles.

“We missed the boat there with our electric bus purchases, and obviously a bad choice of vendor,” Vogelheim said.

Ya think? As ststed in the linked article, the “vendor” is a Joe Biden step-child.

He wouldn’t remember me, I’m sure, but I met and spoke with him on a couple occasions. He’s a Dem and, as I recall, married into money (the old-fashioned way).

September 27, 2023, 10:22 AM

HRK

quote:
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.

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 on and 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.

I'm shocked, they should have kept up with the current information on this, if I lived there I'd be amp'd up over this debacle. The people that approved this should be charged for it...

September 27, 2023, 10:28 AM

corsair

^^^
They'd never pay but, what about garnishing any pension they receive from the government?
You dig deeper and there's so many entitlements and retirement benefits in government work, even at the local level that its no surprise that low-achieving, know-nothings flock to such positions, getting elected on appearance and soundbites alone.

September 27, 2023, 10:43 AM

1s1k

quote:
Originally posted by Rick Lee:
This money needs to come out of the personal pockets of the politicians who voted for it.

They’re too busy traveling with their fleets of Escalades.

September 27, 2023, 10:45 AM

Gustofer

You can walk from one end of town to the other in about 15 minutes. Why in the hell do they need four electric buses?

More money than sense.

September 27, 2023, 11:15 AM

TMats

quote:
Originally posted by Gustofer:
You can walk from one end of town to the other in about 15 minutes. Why in the hell do they need four electric buses?

More money than sense.

Not exactly, Gus, and an important part of the route is Teton Village where JHMR is located. Oh, and it’s 8 electric buses + the remaining diesel buses, not sure how many that is.

September 27, 2023, 11:22 AM

Perception

quote:
Originally posted by TMats:
quote:
Originally posted by Gustofer:
You can walk from one end of town to the other in about 15 minutes. Why in the hell do they need four electric buses?

More money than sense.

Not exactly, Gus, and an important part of the route is Teton Village where JHMR is located. Oh, and it’s 8 electric buses + the remaining diesel buses, not sure how many that is.

From the article, they have 8 electric busses and 31 diesel busses.

"The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people."
"Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy."
"I did," said Ford, "it is."
"So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't the people get rid of the lizards?"
"It honestly doesn't occur to them. They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or less approximates the government they want."
"You mean they actually vote for the lizards."
"Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course."
"But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?"
"Because if they didn't vote for a lizard, then the wrong lizard might get in."

September 27, 2023, 11:44 AM

TMats

quote:
Originally posted by Perception:
From the article, they have 8 electric busses and 31 diesel busses.

So, they have 31

Assuming a smiley face is appropriate, maybe not

September 27, 2023, 11:46 AM

Mr.Brooks

Actually, there is a scenario to sue individual government employees. If a case can be made a decision deprived someone of their constitutional rights, then a suit can be brought. Many managers and fire teams carry personal insurance for this scenario. Probably, I'll say it again probably, the most common case would be a decision was made to pull back from a fire line and homes were lost. If someone had standing, and claimed they had information that may have changed the decision and were not consulted.