Hunter
08/11/25
Iowa City’s electric bus fleet is out of commission after the company that manufactured the vehicles went bankrupt.
KCRG TV reports the city’s electric bus vendor, Proterra, filed for bankruptcy. The company’s transit line was later bought out by PhoenixEV. However, the city has been unable to get parts to repair the fleet. Director of Transportation Darian Nagle-Gamm said for over a year and a half, they’ve been waiting on parts and personnel to repair the buses.
Iowa City has already switched to the vendor that makes the city’s diesel buses, Gillig, to provide EV buses. The $6 million fleet of Proterra buses now sits waiting for repairs. Gillig cannot repair the buses because they’re manufactured differently with different parts.
Iowa City plans on purchasing four EV buses from Gillig using federal grant money.