Quebec bet big on Lion electric school buses. Now critics say the plan has backfired

MONTREAL - The Quebec government's aggressive push to electrify its school bus fleet — while giving one local manufacturer a virtual monopoly — could now be turning school bus operators off electric vehicles and delaying the transition, critics say.

The abrupt withdrawal of 1,200 Lion electric school buses from Quebec roads after a bus in Montreal caught fire last week is prompting renewed criticism of the provincial government's approach to electrification.