Overview
- Osaka Metro has withdrawn all 190 electric buses it bought for the Osaka‑Kansai Expo after repeated vehicle failures and is storing more than 100 vehicles at a centralized site.
- The buses were purchased from EV Motors Japan between fiscal 2022 and 2024 and were manufactured under contract by a Chinese supplier, a procurement chain now under scrutiny.
- Osaka Metro told the city that its audit committee will conduct an independent investigation, moving the expected report from the June 30 shareholder meeting to July and prompting public criticism from Mayor Yokoyama.
- Osaka Prefecture and Osaka Metro decided on June 18 to drop the EV fleet from a July autonomous‑bus pilot and instead use Hino diesel minibuses for initial tests that will run without passengers for about five months.
- The episode leaves Expo legacy plans in limbo, raises questions about vendor selection and quality control for municipal purchases, and sets up shareholder pressure at the upcoming Osaka City review.