Propane Micro Bird hits the market

FORT VALLEY, Ga. — The new Propane-Powered Micro Bird is fully certified and rolling off the line, Blue Bird announced.

The Type A bus underwent extensive testing and evaluation in 2010 and is fully compliant with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, the manufacturer reported.

Blue Bird said that the Propane-Powered Micro Bird, which is built with an exclusive standard 43-gallon fuel tank, offers fuel range of up to 320 miles.

The Type A joins the Propane-Powered Vision Type C and the CNG-Powered All American Type D in Blue Bird’s lineup of alternative-fuel buses.

Fred Prince, director of transportation for Wayne Central School District in Ontario Center, N.Y., said that his district’s propane-powered Blue Birds have operated “flawlessly.”

“With four Blue Bird propane-powered buses in the fleet and 22,000 miles on each bus, we have had zero mechanical issues,” Prince said. “Even when the temperatures drop well below freezing, our Blue Bird propane-powered buses start perfectly.”

Prince also noted that the district’s drivers enjoy operating the buses, which he said are quieter than their diesels and operate with significantly more power.