Derek Roch

Have you heard that alternative fuel vehicles are difficult and expensive to maintain? That may be true for some energy sources, but not all of them are created equal. For many fleet owners, making the switch from traditional fuels to propane autogas results in lower fuel and maintenance costs.

While outdated myths like this still circulate about the complexity or serviceability of alternative fuel vehicles, the reality is that propane autogas is easy to maintain, simple to learn, and it can save fleet owners money. Here are the top misconceptions and the facts that prove why propane autogas continues to gain traction among fleet owners.

Blue Bird is extending its clean-transportation legacy from the school bus yard to the broader commercial fleet space. 

The company is rolling out two new medium-duty stripped chassis platforms designed for step vans and delivery vehicles — one all-electric and one propane-powered — both built to handle up to 23,000 pounds GVWR.

No matter the locale — rural or urban — transit and paratransit vehicles utilizing alternative fuels have to be ready for anything in Michigan’s diverse terrain. 

Urban applications often deal with limited space for fueling, while rural applications have plenty of space, but some drivers deal with range anxiety when it comes to fuels other than gasoline and diesel.

Over the last few months, I have been asked frequently about how the Trump administration’s energy priorities might affect the propane industry. An embrace of nuclear, natural gas and natural gas liquids — including propane — is a positive sign, but the question remains: What about renewable propane? With increasing attention paid to its conventional twin, will it sustain the momentum it has built over the past five years? I believe the answer is yes. 

We caught up with Todd Mouw from ROUSH CleanTech during NTEA’s Work Truck Week 2025 to talk about the evolving fuel conversation in the fleet space. From the early push for natural gas to the electric wave and now a more uncertain future — ROUSH continues to lead with a common-sense approach.

In recent years, electric school buses have dominated the conversation as the only path to sustainable student transportation. Electrification will continue to play a big role in how we transform our transportation system, but we believe that it is not a silver bullet. There are other technologies and domestic energy choices that reduce harmful emissions and operational costs.

In recent years, electric school buses have dominated the conversation as the only path to sustainable student transportation. Electrification will continue to play a big role in how we transform our transportation system, but we believe that it is not a silver bullet. There are other technologies and domestic energy choices that reduce harmful emissions and operational costs.

This isn’t to say that electric buses don’t have their place, but a “one size fits all” approach is flawed. EV technology and infrastructure are a long way from being commercially viable without the help of significant federal and state incentives.

The Rapid, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has seen good results from its 62 Ford E-450 propane buses equipped with ROUSH CleanTech systems.

Currently, more than 75% of The Rapid’s paratransit fleet runs on propane, with its propane buses traveling over 1.8 million miles in 2024. These propane buses have seen a 118% fuel savings per gallon, which has allowed the company to tap into federal and private funding to cover the capital costs.