Milwaukee Pulls Electric Buses From Service Temporarily After Recall

MILWAUKEE, WI — The Milwaukee County Transit System on Thursday took eleven battery-powered electric buses out of service Thursday in an "abundance of caution" amid a recall.

Officials said all Nova Bus LFSe+ electric battery buses, which are used on the CONNECT 1 Bus Rapid Transit Line, are being temporarily removed as the batteries are replaced, MCTS said. The manufacturer, Nova Bus, alerted MCTS to a possible recall from an issue during the creation of the batteries, officials said.

Officials said the risk is low, but MCTS decided to take the buses out of service for a replacement and to deploy clean-diesel buses to the Connect 1 line for the time being. Only the Connect 1 line uses the buses, MCTS said.

Nova Bus alerted officials to the possible concern in a letter on Aug. 24, but after a safety analysis, the company determined the bus is safe to drive. But MCTS said it is committed to safety.

“We made the decision to take our battery electric buses off the BRT line until the batteries are replaced. Even though Nova Bus did not recommend that course of action, we felt it was important,” said MCTS President and Managing Director Denise Wandke in a news release. “We are confident that Nova Bus’s proactive recall shows their commitment to safety and product quality. The new Bus Rapid Transit line, which launched in June, has been extremely popular with the community. Battery electric buses are a unique part of the CONNECT 1 experience, and we look forward to seeing them back on the line as soon as the issue is resolved.”

Officials said the battery replacements under the recall will be performed on all 11 buses without any cost to the transit system.