State of South Carolina Chooses Propane Buses
Dear Friends of ROUSH CleanTech,
Last week I attended the unveiling of new Blue Bird propane autogas school buses for the state of South Carolina. The state operates one of the oldest school bus fleets in the country with buses averaging 15 years old — some dating back to the 1980s.
Unlike other states, South Carolina operates and maintains its own fleet of school buses. More than half of its 5,500 school bus fleet are decades-old, with an average 236,000 miles on them. The state’s Department of Education projects that its diesel buses cost them 49 cents per mile, while their new propane buses will reduce those costs to 21 cents per mile — a savings of 28 cents per mile. These are cost-savings that can go right back into the classrooms and community.
South Carolina is on the right track purchasing propane buses for two of its counties. Each year, these 26 alternatively fueled buses will reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by over 40,600 pounds and particulate matter by more than 825 pounds compared with the diesel buses they replaced.
As school districts across North America replace aging diesel models, domestically produced propane makes sense. Along with the fuel and maintenance cost savings, the buses reduce harmful emissions around our schoolchildren.
You can join more than 650 school districts that have chosen to fuel its fleet with propane. Give us a call today at 800.59.ROUSH to learn more about cost-saving, emissions-reducing propane school bus options for your school district.
Sincerely,
Todd Mouw
