September 19, 2025
In the last year, Transport Canada has received reports of three fires and one overheating event involving LionC school buses. The latest incident happened on September 9, 2025.
Transport Canada is actively investigating all these incidents. While a safety defect hasn’t been identified yet due to the extent of fire damage in affected buses, the focus of our investigation is on the low-voltage heating system.
Lion Electric issued an inspection bulletin on September 11, 2025 to all LionC electric bus owners in Canada and the U.S., which provides detailed instructions for conducting preventative inspection. An updated bulletin was released on September 15, 2025. Please contact Lion Electric for the most recent version of the bulletin.
Until the cause of these incidents is determined, as a precaution, Transport Canada recommends the following:
Fleet operators
- Perform an immediate inspection of buses in accordance with the manufacturer’s Inspection Bulletin.
- Keep records of your inspections and report any concerns to Lion Electric and Transport Canada by calling our Defect Complaints & Recalls Hotline at 1-800-333-0510.
Bus drivers
- If you see smoke or smell anything burning, stop the bus in a safe place, evacuate everyone and, if it’s safe, turn off the high-voltage and 12-volt power supplies.
School boards, schools, teachers, and students
- Review bus fire exits and escape procedures. Being prepared in an emergency can save time and lives.
Transport Canada will continue investigating this matter with the utmost urgency and will share updates as appropriate to ensure the public remains informed of any safety risks.