Alt-fuel school bus options are growing

Manufacturers are meeting the demand for clean-burning, money-saving yellow buses by offering more powered by propane autogas and compressed natural gas, as well as all-electric units. Here’s a look at some of the school buses in development, on the market and in service at operations. 

Thomas Built propane Type C maximizes safety, boosts efficiency

A new offering has been added to Thomas Built Buses’ alternative-fuel lineup: The propane-powered Saf-T-Liner C2 school bus. Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Service Ken Hedgecock says the company has been producing this bus for a few months and is delivering units to customers. It is available at all dealer locations.

At press time, Thomas Built was expected to ramp up full production of the bus in late May or early June.

The bus is the company’s Saf-T-Liner C2 Type C school bus with a propane autogas engine. It features an Allison 2300 PTS Series transmission and an 8.0-liter liquid propane gas engine with a fully integrated CleanFUEL USA liquid propane injection system. The two-tank setup has an estimated 300-mile range with a 70-gallon capacity. The bus can accommodate up to 81 passengers.

“Like the diesel-powered Saf-T-Liner C2, this propane version is built to maximize safety, optimize efficiency, enhance driver comfort and provide maximum visibility,” Hedgecock says. “The bus features side skirt reinforcement and extended roof bows, which extend below the floor. Other features include fuel tanks mounted between the frame rails, a curved and bonded one-piece windshield, and proprietary Saf-T-Bond adhesive joints and rivets.”

Thomas Built Buses took ease of maintenance into consideration when designing the bus. Hedgecock says the propane C2 features multiplex wiring, which enhances serviceability with instant diagnostic codes, reduces electrical failure points and also reduces the weight of the bus.

Thomas Built Buses’ green vehicle lineup also includes the propane-fueled Minotour Type A school bus, which the company has offered since 2012, and the Saf-T-Liner HDX Type D and the Minotour Type A compressed natural gas (CNG) models.

Hedgecock notes that school districts and bus companies should think about several factors when they are considering integrating alternative-fueled buses into their fleet.

One factor is the total cost of ownership of the purchase: the cost of the bus, the fueling station, training for technicians and any special tools that may be needed to maintain an alternative-fueled bus. He says fueling stations can be expensive to install, so he advises pupil transportation operations to consider what types of fuel are most prevalent in their area and use this information to help in deciding the best type of fueling station to install.

“School districts should take into account grants or funds that are available for the purchase, along with how long it will take to recoup the costs of the overall purchase,” Hedgecock adds.

He says operations should also have a “one-on-one conversation with their local dealer to determine the best type of alternative fuel for them,” which can be helpful since the types of routes the buses will be used for must play into the purchase decision.

For more information about Thomas Built Buses’ propane-powered Saf-T-Liner C2 school bus, visit www.thomasbus.com.

Full article here.

State of the Alternative-Transportation Fuel Industry

Whether you have a fleet of 500 vehicles or five, reports, research, and the touted results from utilizing alternative-fueled vehicles has probably made its way onto a fleet manager’s radar in some form or another. Here is an overview of the current state of alternative fuels and their status in the fleet industry.

Measuring Propane Autogas

Propane autogas has always focused on commercial fleets, those that are centrally fueled, mainly with return-to-base operations whose vehicles typically travel within a 200-mile radius of the home base, ac-cording to Tucker Perkins, chief business development officer for the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC).

“Currently, we have dominated the light-duty segment, as well as school buses, local pickup and delivery, people moving (such as Super Shuttle and mobility companies), and just about everyone with access to a van, pickup truck, or taxi cab,” Perkins said. “These fleets see the value of propane autogas because maintenance is easy and cost-effective and fuel prices with propane are about half that of gasoline or diesel. Most fleets we talk to see ROI within the first year of operation.”

Moving forward, Perkins believes in growth, witnessed by recent robust sales in the school bus fleet industry, working with both Blue Bird and Thomas Built. Additionally, propane autogas has expanded into the medium-duty market, including the Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. walk-in van based on the MT-45 chassis and the Ford F-650, with dates announced for the Ford F-750.

“What excites us with the medium-duty vehicle class is that local pickup and delivery companies, such as movers, paper companies, crane trucks, etc., are now offered propane autogas options,” Perkins said. “When you really do the math, the total cost of operation with propane autogas — including fuel costs, maintenance, and garaging — is one of the lowest of any fuel.”

One example of a fleet adopting propane autogas is UPS, which tested 20 vehicles and made an announcement that it was purchasing 1,000 units at the 2014 Work Truck Show.

“If people are driving 20,000-25,0000 miles per year or more, and keeping their vehicles in service for five years or more, the economics are very favorable for using propane autogas,” Perkins noted.

In regards to infrastructure, it tends to be a non-factor for propane autogas, according to Perkins.

“We are proud of where our infrastructure is today, with more than 3,000 publicly accessible sites in the U.S.; however, we feel that price and ease of propane infrastructure is not a factor and not a barrier to adoption.”

Most fleets utilizing propane autogas feature return-to-base operations, and installation costs for a fueling site is less than $50,000 and is easy to install, maintain, and operate. The propane industry is now focused on installing more public sites and refueling dispensers on-site for business locations.

“Additionally, propane autogas fueling sites are easy to expand or even change locations, should the business grow or move,” Perkins said, noting that power and maintenance of a propane autogas fueling station only adds approximately 1 cent per gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE).

Propane autogas prices are stable and product is readily available. Unfortunately, the unusually harsh 2013-2014 winter did cause a supply shortage in parts of the upper Midwest, causing some price volatility and fluctuation.

“We still produce far more propane in the U.S. than we consume. It was not a supply problem, but a logistics problem,” Perkins noted. “The rare supply and logistics problems that were experienced are being addressed over the next six months to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

Looking toward the future, the shale gas revolution in areas of the U.S. will produce unprecedented amounts of propane, which is a by-product of natural gas development.

“It’s more than we have ever had, and coming from natural gas it’s lighter than crude oil,” Perkins said. “We still have to grow the base business, including more propane-autogas-powered forklifts, lawn mowers, etc.”

Currently, Perkins noted the propane autogas industry is thrilled.

“We have supply in excess of demand. We have a relatively stable price and a base of bigger users. We are excited about a migration to direct-injection engines, moving up into larger horsepower and torque to move us more into the traditional diesel space,” he said.

See the full article here.

PERC Straight Talk: 1,000 for UPS

UPS area automotive manager Kelly Pruitt and colleagues Chad Clark and Robert Mendez explain why the package delivery giant is fielding 1,000 propane autogas delivery trucks. 

Click here to watch the video!