Lion Bus Clears Electric School Buses After HVAC Inspection
Lion Bus has issued an inspection bulletin for its school buses following a recent fire incident in Montreal. The bulletin outlines a four-hour repair procedure for potential HVAC system anomalies in both Lion360 diesel and LionC electric school buses. The move comes after the Quebec Ministry of Education ordered LionC electric school bus models to be taken out of service.
The inspection and repair process, which took place over two weeks, affected 76 school buses, cancelling 68 routes. All buses have since been repaired, inspected, and cleared for operation as of September 22. Lion Bus confirmed that neither the electric battery nor the propulsion system was involved in the Sept. 9 fire, which occurred while the bus was parked and unoccupied, causing no injuries.
CBC reported three similar fires and a smoke-filled school bus since last November, leading Transport Canada to investigate. The investigation is focusing on the low-voltage heating system and has yet to identify a safety defect. First Student, which owns Transco in Quebec, is following Lion's inspection bulletin to guide all inspections and replacements for electric school buses. Societé de l'assurance automobile du Québec has approved Lion Bus's plan to return LionC electric school buses to service.
Lion Bus has addressed the HVAC system issues in its school buses, with all affected vehicles now cleared for operation. Transport Canada's investigation into the fire incidents continues, focusing on the low-voltage heating system. Meanwhile, LionC electric school buses have returned to the road after repairs and approval from Societé de l'assurance automobile du Québec.
