When a bus maker fails: King County Metro's lesson in supplier risk
Metro retired its early battery buses after their manufacturer's bankruptcy left it without parts. Procurement can plan for that.
King County Metro retired its early Proterra battery-electric buses in June 2024 after the manufacturer's bankruptcy left it unable to obtain replacement parts, The Urbanist reported in December 2024.
Metro has continued to electrify. Its Tukwila Base, the agency's first all-electric bus base, supports up to 120 battery-electric buses and was scheduled to begin full operation in spring 2026.
ESS view: vehicle and technology procurements should include a plan for supplier failure: access to parts, software and data, and a route to keep vehicles and systems running if a vendor leaves the market.