Quebec Grounded 1,200 Lion School Buses After a Fire. Vermont Still Has Some on the Road.
Barre removed its two Lion buses from service in January 2025 as a precaution after a series of Lion fires elsewhere.
Quebec temporarily pulled about 1,200 Lion Electric school buses from service for inspections after a Sept. 9 fire aboard a Lion C bus in Montreal. No injuries were reported, but officials ordered fleetwide checks before letting vehicles return to service. Transport Canada says its investigation is focused on the low-voltage heating system, and Lion issued an inspection bulletin with extra steps for operators.
Vermont districts have also deployed Lion buses in recent years, so the Quebec action naturally raises questions here at home.
What happened in Quebec
The fire: Montreal firefighters linked the blaze on Sept. 9 to the vehicle’s heating system.
The response: The province told school boards to take Lion buses out of service for inspections. Several Montreal-area boards announced suspended electric routes “until further notice,” while some regions outside Montreal returned vehicles after passing inspections.
Lion’s statement: The company said buses would gradually return as operators complete the added checks.
What regulators are looking at: Transport Canada distributed a Sept. 11 safety bulletin recommending immediate inspection steps and noting the probe’s focus on the low-voltage heating circuit; a defect has not yet been formally identified.
Where Lion buses operate in Vermont
Vermont’s original Volkswagen-funded pilot placed electric school buses with three districts. Two of those—Barre Unified (with Student Transportation of America) and Champlain Valley School District (CVSD)—selected Lion Electric. Franklin West Supervisory Union (BFA-Fairfax) selected Blue Bird, not Lion.
Barre Unified (BUUSD):
Contractor Student Transportation of Vermont removed Barre’s two Lion buses from service in January 2025 as a precaution after a series of Lion fires elsewhere, then—after Lion entered creditor protection and support proved uncertain—the district asked the contractor to remove the buses from district property in April 2025. Routes continued with diesel substitutes at no added taxpayer cost, according to the contractor’s letter to the school board and follow-up local TV coverage.Champlain Valley School District (CVSD):
CVSD has two Lion buses from the pilot and, as of a March 19, 2025 status check, reported they were working “pretty well,” with cold-weather heating tweaks; the district was exploring expansion via federal funds. Since the Montreal fire and Quebec inspections, no public CVSD notice or Vermont media report has announced a local suspension of CVSD’s Lion buses. (If internal inspections occurred, they haven’t been posted.)
https://www.wcax.com
Franklin West SU (BFA-Fairfax):
Runs Blue Bird electrics, so Quebec’s Lion-specific action doesn’t apply to their buses.
Safety, support, and the company’s condition
Another factor in Vermont decisions: Lion Electric has been restructuring under Canada’s Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) since December 2024, with a court-supervised sale/investment process overseen by Deloitte as monitor. That restructuring complicated parts, service, and warranty support for U.S. districts this year, and some customers reported uncertainty about coverage.
How Vermont has responded so far
There is no statewide grounding order in Vermont specific to Lion as of Sept. 15, 2025. Vermont’s approach has largely been district/contractor-led. (Barre removed its Lions months ago; CVSD has posted no new suspension.)
Regulatory signals to watch: If Transport Canada or U.S. agencies identify a formal defect or issue updated inspection/recall guidance—the low-voltage heating system is the present focus—Vermont districts with Lion buses would likely mirror those steps.
What parents and riders should know
Different brands, different implications. Only districts with Lion buses are directly affected by Quebec’s order. Districts with Blue Bird or other brands are not implicated by the Montreal incident.
Expect checks and communication. Even absent a statewide directive, it’s reasonable for local contractors to conduct extra inspections and for districts to update families if service changes. (Montreal boards publicly posted route suspensions and reinstatements during inspections.)
What happens next
Inspection results drive the timeline. Lion buses in Quebec are returning progressively once additional checks are completed; any Vermont changes would likely track emerging guidance from Lion and safety agencies.
Watch for official findings. Transport Canada’s investigation into the low-voltage heating system could lead to a defect determination, recall, or further inspection requirements—developments Vermont districts would pay close attention to.
Local decisions will continue. With Barre’s Lions already removed and CVSD’s still in service absent a posted suspension, expect district-by-district updates rather than a one-size-fits-all statewide move—unless regulators issue broader directives.