Electric Bus Contract

A $168M contract, never properly vetted. The state declared it illegal. Here's the timeline and the numbers.

Key Stats

Contract value

$168M

Route failures

280+

Unassessed penalties

$372,100

Emergency diesel purchase

$14.75M

Timeline

  • 2021

    Electric bus initiative announced

    MCPS commits to electric bus fleet. Contract awarded.

    Source →
  • 2024critical

    OIG report: contract failures

    OIG finds 280+ route failures, $372K in unassessed penalties, $14.75M emergency diesel purchase.

    Source →
  • 2025critical

    State ruling: contract illegal

    Maryland State Board of Education declares the $168M contract illegal. Criminal convictions of 2 MCPS transportation officials.

    Source →

What Should Have Happened

Competent contract management would have: vetted the vendor and technology before award, set clear milestones with penalties for non-performance, assessed the $372,100 in contractually required penalties when deadlines were missed, and avoided the $14.75M emergency diesel purchase by having contingency plans. The OIG report documents each of these failures.