The MTA is not on pace to meet its goal of all-electric buses across New York CIty by 2024, according to a new audit by the state comptroller which reviewed production from Jan. 2019 through June 2025. The audit found that the MTA is too reliant on single manufacturers, which has led to production delays, reported 6sqft.
The MTA called for 485 buses delivered by the end of stage 1. By June 2025, only one bus was delivered. Stage 2 goals have been cut in half — the MTA changed the goal from 1,000 buses to 500. To date, 75 buses have been deployed, but the MTA reported that they have had reliability issues.
The audit lists its target goal of total replacement of buses by 2040 “unlikely.”
The report states that, “While environmental justice is a stated priority, this was not clearly reflected in the transition plan’s results.”
In a news conference on Aug. 19, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said that the electric buses tested so far have “not been up to standards,” as reported by 6sqft. “In order for us to continue purchasing electric buses, we need that reliability standard to be met,” Lieber said.
Future recommendations include developing a contingency plan to address unmet milestones, re-evaluating time lines and evaluating alternatives to improve range and document results.
Transitioning 100% of the NYC bus fleet to electric-powered vehicles has been a stated goal by the MTA since 2018. The MTA plans to replace buses on a one-for-one basis, rather than increasing fleet size. Its four target stages are now 560, 1000, 1970 and 3,300 respectively.
The audit reports that electric buses cost 60% more than diesel buses, pricing between $1 million and $1.3 million. The 2024 plan estimated that the total cost of 100 % electric transition would be nearly $12 billion.
