An investigation into a Maryland school system's electric bus program found that vehicle problems led to millions of dollars in “wasteful expenditures,” according to a report from the county's Office of Inspector General (OIG) released in late July.
In February 2021, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland announced it would replace 326 diesel school buses with electric buses as part of a sustainability initiative. The county's OIG Conclusion Delays in delivery of electric buses and frequent mechanical problems forced the county to partially revert to diesel buses, despite paying about $170 million for a new fleet, according to the report. (Related: Biden administration announces $1.5 billion for electric buses)
“All buses received for fiscal years 2022-2024 were delivered past the contractual delivery deadline,” the OIG report states. As a result, MCPS “spent more than $14 million on purchasing diesel buses to make up for not receiving scheduled electric school buses.”
Further corroborating evidence that an electric bus caught fire 🔥
This is an epidemic that the government is denying….pic.twitter.com/6FmEGl99II
— Attorney Rob Boyd (@AvonandsomerRob) January 19, 2024
In addition to the delays, many of the electric buses have been “out of service for extended periods of time,” and the OIG said, “MCPS has [electric bus] The contractor will be fined approximately $372,000 for failing to provide usable buses between fiscal years 2022 and 2024.”
“The MCPS Financial Manual defines waste as 'the wasteful, careless, or unnecessary expenditure of MCPS funds or the consumption of MCPS resources resulting from poor practices, systems, controls, or decisions,'” the report states. “MCPS's decision to not hold contractors accountable for contract terms and not to include provisions to offset costs incurred resulted in millions of dollars in wasted expenditures.”
Former MCPS Superintendent Dr. Monifah McKnight initially argued that electric school buses would save the county money.
“We stand to save over 6,500 gallons of diesel fuel per day,” McKnight said at a 2022 press conference touting the effort. according to He told Electrek, “This will immediately reduce our costs by 50%.”
The rollout of electric buses across the U.S. has been plagued by problems, with reports of vehicles catching fire due to battery failure in Wichita, Kansas, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Hamden, Connecticut since July 2022. Additionally, eight electric buses purchased by the Democratic enclave of Wyoming were grounded indefinitely in 2023 after the buses began experiencing mechanical problems and manufacturer Proterra went bankrupt.
Despite these challenges, the Biden administration continues to broadly promote electric buses and vehicles, including by announcing plans to provide or provide about $10 billion to states and localities for the purchase of electric and low-emission buses. In May, the administration announced an additional $900 million for the purchase of green school buses in an effort to reduce carbon emissions.
MCPS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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