Metro is still waiting for its first electric buses — originally scheduled to arrive in February — because a bus fire in Connecticut has triggered a recall and is delaying the delivery. Four Alexandria DASH buses have also been pulled from their routes.

Last July, a 2021 New Flyer Xcelsior (XE) electric bus run by CTtransit became fully engulfed in flames after liquid coolant accumulated in a battery area, which led to an electrical short and fire. The bus had been charged, but would not start. Just before 4 a.m. the rear compartment started smoking in a maintenance area. Workers moved it outside and it erupted in flames around three hours later. Firefighters had trouble putting out the fire and it continued to smolder for two days. (Battery fires can be hard to put out, the NTSB says.)

The incident sent two maintenance workers to an area hospital where they were treated for smoke inhalation, according to Connecticut Public Radio.

The National Transportation Safety Board released before and after photos of the bus.

The recall was issued in mid-February after a second bus started smoking in January and investigators found liquid in two other buses. New Flyer says 220 buses in the field have been affected.

The company is working on a remedy but suggests owners inspect battery packs prior to use. If liquid is found, they say the bus should be parked outside and away from structures. New Flyer has given instructions that will allow “for the safe operation while we identify a full solution… in a timely manner”

WMATA had ordered two 60-foot versions of the bus that is also under a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall.

“Although the delivery of our two new New Flyer buses is delayed while a remedy for the current battery recall is developed, we remain committed to our sustainability efforts and plans to transition our fleet,” Metro said in a statement, “including the installation of charging infrastructure and evaluation of buses from Nova Bus, which are expected to be delivered in 2024.”

New Flyer says its electric buses have completed 20 million miles of service and are “engineered, manufactured, innovated, and rigorously tested to be among the safest vehicles in North America, and the most reliable form of public transit in communities,” the company said in a statement. “We are confident that the efforts taken through this recall will continue to enhance our safety performance and deliver better outcomes for our customers and their riders.”

The company did not have an estimated timeline of when Metro might get their buses delivered.

Meanwhile, the DASH bus system in Alexandria, Virginia, has four 60-foot versions of the bus and has taken them out of service until further notice.

“Of the fourteen battery electric buses currently in service, the four newest are affected by this recall,” DASH Director of Planning and Marketing Martin Barna said in an email. “In response, DASH immediately removed the affected buses from service and is working closely with the manufacturer to implement a compliant inspection and monitoring program.

“DASH monitors vehicle performance daily to ensure that all buses are operating safely, efficiently, and effectively.”

Barna says DASH has been pleased with its electric bus program and has only had “minor challenges coming from operable range, charging infrastructure, and excessive battery drain in the winter months due to heating the passenger areas.”

In a letter to transit agencies, a New Flyer representative wrote, “I apologize for the impacts of this issue, but please know we are committed to ensuring a remedy in as timely a manner as possible and ultimately ensuring you the safest and best quality vehicle,” the company wrote.

The company said the recall is unacceptable but other manufacturers have issued similar recalls as”the industry continues to learn and adapt these new technologies.”

Metro has ordered five Nova electric buses that are due before the end of the year. Five other New Flyer buses are also on order, but it’s unclear if those will also face delays. Metro was supposed to have 12 electric buses in operation by the end of the year. The transit agency hopes to transition to a fully-electric fleet by 2045, a deadline that environmental groups say is too slow.

WMATA has said it is working through several issues with infrastructure, power supply, and acquiring vehicles that are in high demand.

Montgomery County’s Ride On bus service, D.C.’s Circulator, and Alexandria’s DASH have several Proterra electric buses that have not had similar issues.

Maricela Cordova of Montgomery County’s transportation department says the county has had a positive experience with its first four Proterra buses and is ordering 10 Gillig electric buses before putting out a request for 100 electric buses.

“Mileage range is still the main critical challenge with battery electric buses as they provide limited ranges and about half of our Ride On service routes are longer than the range we can service with battery electric buses,” Cordova said.” We are working on our first hydrogen fuel cell project. Hydrogen-fueled buses are also electric and zero-emission vehicles and provide longer mileage ranges, so as we get more electric buses, we expect that the County’s zero-emissions regional impact will be broader, and we’ll be able to serve more communities with green vehicles.”

Autoweek reports that there are 1529.9 fires per 100,000 sales for gasoline vehicles and 25.1 fires per 100,000 sales for electric vehicles, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. EVFireSafe.com has identified 18 electric bus fires as of April 2022, including one in Frederick County, Maryland in 2016.

Lithium batteries have started on fire in cars, e-bikes, and scooters, like one that started on fire in downtown D.C. in 2019.