Maryland’s largest school district in Montgomery County found out via an Inspector General’s report that implementing electric busses “led to millions of dollars in wasteful spending”

The report said that at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in October 2022, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) announced that its 326 new electric buses would save 6,500 gallons of fuel daily and cut costs by 50%. And then reality set in. Since entering into a $168 million contract for the buses, MCPS has faced significant delays.

These mechanical and charging issues resulted in buses not being able to complete their routes 280 times between February 2022 and the end of March 2024. In more than half those cases, repairs were not completed within five working days. The average time it took to repair an electric bus was 13 days, according to the report.

As a result, in October 2023, the school board approved the school system’s request to buy 90 diesel school buses “in light of the electric bus shortfall” at a cost of more than $14.7 million according to the report.

https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2024/07/electric-school-buses-led-to-millions-in-wasteful-spending-montgomery-co-ig-says/

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MEMORANDUM OF INVESTIGATION

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OIG/Resources/Files/PDF/IGActivity/FY2025/MOI-FY25%20MCPS%20Electric%20Bus%20Fleet.pdf