As many as 23 of Berlin’s new “green” electric buses stopped running during the recent cold snap and had to be replaced with diesel alternatives, German media has reported.
According to the Berliner Morgenpost, Berlin’s main public transport operator, the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), last week’s low temperatures caused problems with the electric vehicles batteries, with most of their power going towards heating, and did not have sufficient power to complete their routes even after a full night of charging.
“According to the contract and the specifications, they are supposed to be able to drive 130 kilometres even at minus 10 degrees, but not all of them made it,” said Petra Nelken, BVG spokesperson.
The BVG’s fleet currently includes 123 electric vehicles from the same manufacturer, Solaris. Nelken insisted that the buses had not stopped working altogether, and would simply have to return to the depot earlier than expected to charge, causing delays.
This compounded pre-existing traffic delays in Germany due to the presence of many tractors in the city for a major farming protest.
Massive tractor rally in Germany capital Berlin. No pits, no teas gas, no sticks, no stop installed #आज_किसान_एकजुटता_करेगे pic.twitter.com/4Mm6bNIT9O
— Pulkit Sharma (@itspulkitsharma) February 16, 2021
Texas is currently experiencing rolling blackouts and power outages, with 2.7 million Texans without electricity, after the US state’s wind turbines have frozen over. American media reports that families have been forced to huddle in their cars with the heating on to stay warm during the cold weather.
The State’s governor has warned that essential infrastructure like traffic lights may even lose power due to this outage.