Propane School Buses: The Best Choice to Fuel Your Fleet

Have you ever considered what powers a school bus?  Probably not. With a new school year about to begin, we have researched the best fueling option for school buses—propane!  Read on to learn how propane is used to operate buses in a clean, cost-friendly way.

Propane-Powered School Buses Aren’t New

To many, propane auto gas seems innovative and new.  But propane has actually been used to power school buses since the 1970’s (5 Lesser-Known Propane Benefits for School Buses – School Bus Fleet Blog – School Bus Fleet)! In fact, propane has “been a long-accepted fuel solution for school buses across Texas” with Texas now having more than 20% of the total number of school buses fueled by propane in the country (5 Lesser-Known Propane Benefits for School Buses – School Bus Fleet Blog – School Bus Fleet).  Currently there are over 15,000 propane-powered school buses in operation throughout the U.S. (How many propane autogas school buses are in operation in the U.S.? | PERC). With so many propane school buses in use, there must be advantages to using propane instead of alternatives like diesel or gas.

Benefits of Buses Fueled by Propane

What makes propane a better fuel solution than diesel or electricity? Propane is cost effective and environmentally friendly, for starters.  New propane buses cost one third less than new electric buses, and propane school buses have lower fueling costs than diesel versions.  It costs about 50% less to fuel a school bus with propane than with diesel (School Buses | PERC (propane.com)).  When compared with all bus fuel alternatives, propane-powered school buses have the lowest total cost of ownership of all fuels (5 Lesser-Known Propane Benefits for School Buses – School Bus Fleet Blog – School Bus Fleet).

Propane has environmental benefits, as well.  “The latest propane auto gas engine technology is classified as near zero emissions” (School Buses | PERC (propane.com)). When propane is derived as a natural gas byproduct, propane reduces petroleum use 99% (Propane is The Best Option for School Buses | PERC)! With such a small carbon footprint, it is not surprising that the Environmental Protection Agency and many states offer grants and funding to replace diesel school buses with propane ones (School Buses | PERC (propane.com)).

A Strong Past and Bright Future

With so many cost savings and environmental benefits, propane is poised to be the school bus fuel of the future.  Propane does not require complex, costly infrastructure like electric school buses. Nor does propane emit dangerous fumes like diesel buses. Because all of these positive attributes, propane school bus sales have grown 500% since 2012 (5 Lesser-Known Propane Benefits for School Buses – School Bus Fleet Blog – School Bus Fleet)!  To learn more about how Superior Plus Propane can help fuel your propane school bus fleet, visit Fleet » Superior Plus Propane.