Overview
- A state audit released Wednesday says the MTA is at material risk of not meeting its 2040 commitment to convert roughly 5,800 buses to zero-emission vehicles.
- Auditors found procurement shortfalls with Stage 1 deliveries, reporting that the authority received 75 zero-emission buses between 2019 and 2025 and that only one of an expected 485 buses arrived by June 2025.
- The audit blames a reliance on one approved vendor, New Flyer, for “significant backlogs” and notes the MTA has cut its planned Stage 2 order from 1,000 buses to 500.
- Battery-electric buses in service show limited range and reliability because they must start service at about 70% charge, return at about 30% charge, break down more often than diesel buses, and take longer to repair.
- Inspectors also documented depot power and charging limits, including a depot that could not charge more than one bus at a time, plus gaps in operator and high-voltage maintainer training; the MTA has acknowledged the problems, put the manufacturer on notice, reduced near-term electric orders, is buying lower-emission interim buses, and is testing hydrogen as a possible alternative.