Propane autogas provides the lowest total cost-of- ownership compared with other fuels. Each Blue Bird propane school bus can save up to $3,000 per year in fuel and service costs compared with diesel. Maintenance is simpler and less expensive. Plus, propane buses have no cold-start issues.
Low cost and readily available
On average, propane autogas costs 40 to 50 percent less than diesel. Most fleets lock in an annual per-gallon fuel cost for propane so price and supply remain consistent, allowing for better budgeting. More than 90 percent of the propane autogas supply is produced domestically, with an additional 7 percent from Canada.
Less expensive fueling stations
Propane providers will install on-site fueling infrastructure at low- or no-cost, with a propane fuel contract. Propane autogas fueling infrastructure costs less than any other transportation energy source, including gasoline or diesel. Plus, there are thousands of public propane autogas fueling stations in the United States, with stations in every state
Meet environmental initiatives
Both the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board have certified all ROUSH CleanTech fuel systems used in Blue Bird’s propane buses. The optional propane engine in the Blue Bird Vision Propane is certified to the ultra-low nitrogen oxide (NOx) level
of 0.02 grams per brake horsepower- hour, making it 90 percent cleaner than the EPA’s current emissions standard. Buses fueled by propane autogas also emit fewer total hydrocarbon emissions and virtually eliminate particulate matter when compared to diesel buses.
Built by a well-established
partnership
Since
2010, more than 14,000 Blue Bird propane school buses equipped with a Ford
engine and ROUSH CleanTech fuel system operate across the U.S. and Canada in
about 850 school districts. This includes 24 of the top 25 population markets.
To learn more about ROUSH CleanTech’s alternative-fuel vehicle technology that powers school buses and Ford commercial vehicles, please visit www.roushcleantech.com.
Author Bio
Todd Mouw is president of ROUSH CleanTech, an industry leader of alternative fuel vehicle technology. Mouw has more than two decades of experience in the automotive and high-tech industries. As former president of the NTEA Green Truck Association, Mouw helped set standards in the green trucking industry. To learn more, visit ROUSHcleantech.com.
See how the propane school bus is impacting districts here.
