March 2021

Six South Dakota school districts received Department of Environment & Natural Resources funding to purchase emissions-reducing propane autogas school buses. The districts chose propane buses because they emit fewer greenhouse gases, smog-producing hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides compared with the diesel buses replaced, and propane operating costs are significantly lower. “Our Blue Bird propane buses have cut our costs in half. On average, our diesel buses cost $5,000 per year to run, while our propane buses are only $2,500,” says Lance Gerry, fleet manager for Harrisburg School District.

There are several reasons why Ron Farrand Jr., director of Carmel Clay Schools facilities and transportation, is a proponent of propane buses. The school district has 24 propane Type A or mid-size Type C buses, which are about two-thirds of the district’s smaller bus fleet. The buses serve 12 to 30 passengers.

In 2008, HVAC company Gibson’s Heating & Plumbing decided to convert its fleet to bi-fuel vehicles, operating on both propane and gasoline. While the Indiana-based company enjoyed lower operational costs and a reliable fuel system, more maintenance was required to manage the vehicles, prompting the company to look into propane-only options. “Our service vehicles are out on the road all day, every day. We need them to be dependable,” says Mark Gibson, president of Gibson’s Heating & Plumbing.

Micro Bird’s Type A propane school bus has received certification from California’s air quality agency. The manufacturer’s G5 Type A school bus, equipped with Roush CleanTech’s Gen 5 propane fuel system, is reportedly the first Type A propane vehicle to be certified to the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB’s) optional low nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions standard of 0.05 grams per brake horsepower-hour (g/bhp-hr), according to a news release from Micro Bird and Roush CleanTech. The certification reportedly makes the G5 Type A school bus 75% cleaner than federal U.S. emission standards.

In a statement released Monday, Micro Bird claims to be the first to bring to market a Type A propane autogas school bus with low nitrogen oxides. The company’s G5 Type A bus equipped with ROUSH CleanTech’s Gen 5 propane fuel system is certified to California Air Resources Board’s optional low nitrogen oxide emissions standard of 0.05 grams per brake horsepower-hour (g/bhp-hr), making it 75% cleaner than federal U.S. emission standards. Type A buses, made of a bus body constructed on a cutaway front-section vehicle, usually carry nine to 36 students.