GreenPower's South Charleston Facility Faces Ongoing Challenges

Despite layoffs and production pauses, the electric bus maker remains committed to West Virginia operations.

Apr. 4, 2026 at 3:22pm

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Nearly a year after GreenPower Motor Co. announced layoffs and a pause in production at its South Charleston, West Virginia manufacturing facility, the company's leadership says they remain steadfast in their intention to produce all-electric school buses at the site. However, the project has faced numerous setbacks, including delays in negotiations over the property lease and a lack of communication with local officials in recent months.

Why it matters

The GreenPower facility was touted as a major economic development win for West Virginia, promising up to 900 high-paying jobs. Its struggles raise questions about the state's ability to attract and retain advanced manufacturing operations, especially in the electric vehicle sector.

The details

In May 2022, GreenPower cited the Trump administration's tariff policies as the reason for both layoffs and the pause in production at the South Charleston plant, saying the increased costs impacted all school bus manufacturers. The state had initially ordered 41 all-electric buses from GreenPower at a cost of $15 million, with Kanawha County Schools scheduled to receive 21 of those, but only 4 buses have been delivered so far and are not currently in use.

  • On May 23, 2022, GreenPower notified affected employees of layoffs via email.
  • On January 12, 2022, the GreenPower facility was announced at a media conference outside the state Capitol.
  • On August 1, 2022, GreenPower took possession of the 80,000-square-foot Motor City Industrial Building in South Charleston.

The players

GreenPower Motor Co.

A Canadian electric bus manufacturer that announced plans to open a production facility in South Charleston, West Virginia in 2022.

Fraser Atkinson

Chairman and CEO of GreenPower Motor Co.

Frank Mullens

Mayor of South Charleston, West Virginia.

Mitch Carmichael

Former Secretary of Economic Development for the state of West Virginia.

Brendan Riley

President of GreenPower Motor Co.

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What they’re saying

“We are absolutely steadfast in our intention to produce all-electric school buses — both for the state and for customers outside of the state — out of [the South Charleston] facility.”

— Fraser Atkinson, Chairman and CEO, GreenPower Motor Co.

“I hope this is not a death penalty to the project.”

— Frank Mullens, Mayor, South Charleston

“You can already kind of feel the buzz even though it was just announced this morning. It's one of those trendy businesses that has a great future.”

— Frank Mullens, Mayor, South Charleston

What’s next

The state and GreenPower will need to address ongoing communication and production challenges at the South Charleston facility in order to fulfill the initial order of 41 all-electric school buses.

The takeaway

The struggles of GreenPower's West Virginia operations highlight the difficulties in attracting and retaining advanced manufacturing jobs, especially in the electric vehicle sector, where supply chain and policy issues can significantly impact production plans.