It’s been a remarkable year for propane in the headlines. Our customers have been sharing real-world experiences about their propane buses, and these stories highlight how propane has delivered cleaner air, consequential savings and peace of mind.
The first school bus contractor in Maryland to adopt propane school buses oversees the transportation of 2.1 million student trips annually and reflects on the success of early adoption and his confidence in ROUSH CleanTech’s innovative propane technology.
I’m fresh off a week at ACT Expo in Vegas, where a shift in the conversations from previous years took place. Fleet managers and the industry as a whole are no longer just talking about alternative fuels; instead, the discussion has broadened around new technology that helps fleets operate with more efficiency, safety and confidence. That includes topics fleet managers really want answers to. We’re seeing more weight being put on practicalities like uptime, safety, productivity and performance.
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is bringing an energy solution to ACT Expo in Las Vegas that meets 2027 emissions standards.
According to the organization, the solution demonstrates how propane autogas and propane-powered material handling equipment deliver immediate cost savings, operational reliability and emissions reductions for fleet operators today.
Most of our focus at NACFE is on Class 8 heavy-duty trucks, and rightfully so, since these trucks consume the majority of the fuel used in trucking. However, we do not overlook medium-duty trucks—specifically Classes 4–7.
Medium-duty trucks still consume a significant amount of fuel. Some studies show the fuel consumed by medium-duty trucks is almost 25% of the total fuel consumed by large on-road trucks (e.g., Classes 4 to 8). Medium-duty trucks also run in cities where there is a lot of stop-and-go traffic and people. One study of line-haul trucks showed that trucks emit seven times more NOx than the 2010 standard in stop-and-go traffic. While the study was not conducted on medium-duty trucks, it is likely the same problem exists in the medium-duty sector. EPA27 regulations should help this, but it will come at a cost. Sales of medium-duty trucks are also significant.
A handful of special-interest groups and vehicle manufacturers would like you to believe that one of the biggest trends in Minnesota today is vehicle electrification. The reality, though, is that only a small group of school districts has been able to adopt electric buses due to insurmountable costs, deep concerns about grid reliability and vehicle performance, and extended manufacturer delays.
The community of Browning is about 45 miles south of the Canadian border inside of the Blackfeet Indian Nation, just west of Glacier National Park in northwest Montana. Browning Public Schools is the district that serves nearly 2,000 students in the area, a region U.S. News and World Report classifies in its school rankings as “fringe rural.”
Our staff — from sales reps to service techs and support staff — are located all over the U.S. and the one thing we have in common right now, aside from our continued commitment to advancing clean alternative fuels, is that we’re seeing increasing fuel costs at gas stations all around the country.
Blue Bird’s Steven Whaley, alternative fuels manager for the school bus manufacturer, first reviewed the company’s diesel, gasoline, propane and electric school bus options as well as deployment numbers, pricing comparison and clean energy statistics.
Propane, he said during Sunday’s Lunch and Learn session, has a low carbon intensity footprint, is safe enough to use for cooking and is domestically produced. Blue Bird’s propane bus, he specified, was certified to an ultra-low NOx emissions level. He added that propane buses are suited for both rural and urban settings, plus their quiet operation means students arrive at school calmer.
Earlier this year, Potomac Edison, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., announced the launch of an $11.1 million five-year pilot program to deploy 28 electric buses across seven counties in western Maryland. The goal of the project is to help school districts meet Maryland’s Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022, which requires public schools to operate zero-emission vehicles.
With decades of experience in student transportation, we, too, are invested in clean, low-emission school bus options. But, there are 1 million public school students traveling millions of miles to Maryland’s 1,400 schools each day, and we respectfully question the value and long-term impact of Potomac Edison’s investment.
