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SAINT-JEROME, Qué. – The Lion Electric Company of Quebec will recall certain hybrid-electric school buses with a potential electrical fault which could lead to loss of power assist for the braking and steering systems.
The 170 buses in the recall population, produced between April 1, 2016 and Dec. 10, 2021, might have a 12-Volt circuit breaker switch which could fail. This could result in loss of braking and steering, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
NHTSA’s Part 573 Safety Recall Report 21V-968 specifically indicated: “The identified failure is evaluated as one that could occur a few times in the life of a vehicle impacted by this defect. The probability is therefore qualified as “unlikely”. However, the impacts of such a failure could represent a human safety issue and a risk of injury and/or death in the event of complete loss of steering and brake assist, if the driver fails to use the emergency hand brake. In the event of such a failure, the hand brake system remains functional and fully operational.”
According to this report, the recall chronology began with an accident Sept. 2, 2021 in Sherbrooke, Qué. The specific causes of the accident remain under investigation.
“Lion has identified a series of corrections to the 12V circuit to improve the vehicle safety,” the report added.
The company is scheduled to begin sending recall notifications beginning Jan. 7, 2022 to affected parties.
