Federal Transit Administration Launches Inquiry into Storage of Electric Buses at SEPTA Following Multiple Battery Fires

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) demands one of the nation's largest transit systems, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), report on practices for the storage of decommissioned Proterra electric buses. The inquiry follows many battery fire incidents in decommissioned electric buses with lithium-ion batteries in storage and includes a recent incident which occurred in a SEPTA storage yard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

"This is not the first green deal initiative to backfire with serious long-term ramifications bringing in to question how safe and efficient these investments are," said FTA Administrator Marc Molinaro. "We will investigate what steps can be taken to avoid the public safety risk caused by these vehicles and work to ensure proper safety protocols are in place."

In a letter to SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer, FTA requested the following information:

• Documentation on the storage and handling protocols for decommissioned electric buses and lithium-ion battery packs;
• A summary of what additional safety procedures for storage during these decommissioning periods that would decrease the likelihood of crisis scenarios.

Additional Information:

On June 5, a fire ignited(link is external) at SEPTA's Midvale/Roberts yard, involving a decommissioned electric bus with a lithium-ion battery. The fire destroyed numerous SEPTA buses and triggered air-quality warnings. The incident is subject to an ongoing investigation by the appropriate authorities.

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