November 2022

Liberty Public Schools, a 17-campus district outside of Kansas City, Missouri replaced aging diesel school buses with 10 propane models as part of its commitment to asset longevity, maintenance integrity and keeping taxpayer dollars in the classroom. With the addition of the new propane buses, the district’s maintenance shop earned the fleet excellence award, which is given by the state highway patrol to school districts that are excellent at maintaining their fleet. And, within the first year of operating the propane buses, the district saved $56,562 in fuel costs.

While fleets across many industries are making the switch to electric vehicles, it’s important to remember that electrification is not the only option. As we collectively walk the path to zero emissions, propane autogas — and renewable propane, in particular — is one of the most important alternative fuels along the journey. In fact, renewable propane has a carbon intensity five times lower than diesel. Adopting propane autogas is easier than ever, and it is incentivized by state and federal tax credits and other rebate programs.

West Chester University in Pennsylvania added three propane autogas shuttle buses to its fleet as part of its commitment to reducing harmful emissions. The three propane buses, which operate exclusively on the West Chester University campus, are the beginning of what leadership plans to be many more vehicles powered by clean fuel.

Mesa Public Schools has been awarded $750,000 from the first round of grants under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program. The funds will be used to purchase 25 propane school buses that will replace existing diesel or gasoline buses. ​​“Everything that we do in Mesa Public Schools is in the best interest of the safety of the children, our environment, and of course we’re very conscious of our citizens being taxpayers,” said Jeanne Vandemark, the district’s director of transportation.

The Bay Area Transportation Authority, which serves Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties in Michigan, operates a fleet that is mostly propane. By 2025, it plans to operate 84 propane-powered shuttle buses.

Two laws enacted within the past 12 months – the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (November 2021) and the Inflation Reduction Act (August 2022) – aim to advance the nation’s clean energy economy and include multiple incentives for propane.

Winterizing a commercial fleet can be time-consuming and costly; but, vehicles powered by propane autogas are winter-ready. Propane is a stand-out fuel for cold weather operation because propane vehicles do not require extra steps or equipment to keep the fuel from gelling. By contrast, diesel vehicles have many burdensome requirements to keep business running, including being plugged in overnight and using fuel additives. Propane vehicles provide more reliability to businesses operating in cold weather because they have no cold-start issues and minimal maintenance.