Milwaukee County Transit System electric buses have been pulled from the streets as the result of a manufacturer recall of the buses’ batteries.
“Due to a manufacturer’s recall, and out of an abundance of caution, the Milwaukee County Transit System will remove all Nova Bus LFSe+ battery electric buses from the CONNECT 1 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line temporarily, starting today,” MCTS said in a statement.
The CONNECT 1 BRT debuted in June. It runs from downtown Milwaukee to the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center in Wauwatosa along Wisconsin Avenue and Bluemound Road.
The line utilizes both diesel and electric buses on the line, but only diesel buses will be in service until the issue with the electric buses is resolved.
MCTS said Nova Bus, the manufacturer, notified MCTS about a “potential concern” on Thursday. Nova Bus said the buses were still safe to drive, but MCTS decided to keep them parked at its maintenance facility as a “precautionary step.”
“We are confident that Nova Bus’s proactive recall shows their commitment to safety and product quality,” MCTS president and managing director Denise Wandke said.
Battery replacements under this recall will be performed on all 11 electric buses at no cost to MCTS, according to the statement.
