LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With the help of federal stimulus funds, Jefferson County Public Schools has acquired 16 hybrid school buses.
The Thomas Built Buses hybrids were purchased through Whayne Supply Co.
Thomas Clark of Eaton Corp., which supplies the hybrid system for the buses, said the vehicles have been achieving 20 to 30 percent gains in fuel economy.
Sheldon Berman, superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools, said that "the kind of savings we're likely to realize out of this in the long term is substantial."
The district transports 66,000 students a day, covering 100,000 miles.
Mike Mulheirn, executive director of facilities and transportation for the district, noted that some 20-year-old buses are being replaced.
"We're cutting that [particulate matter] footprint by 98 percent — in fact, over 98 percent," Mulheirn said.
The California Energy Commission will award up to $78.7 million to replace aging buses, $13 million for electric vehicle infrastructure, and $2.4 million for CNG fueling infrastructure.
Four school bus operators from four states find common ground in dealing with driver shortage, tapping into the benefits of GPS and video cameras, and assessing fuel options. For the most part, they’re sticking with diesel for now, but one is seeing success with an electric bus.
The Propane Research & Education Council unveils a video that highlights autogas growth in the school transportation market.
Idle Free Heat uses residual heat from the engine to keep the interior of the bus warm, circulating the heat through the vents when the bus is turned off.
Each applicant may request up to $800,000 as part of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act program. The EPA expects to award up to eight tribal assistance agreements.
Creative Bus Sales' order for a total of 100 electric buses, 10 of which are school buses, is the largest to date for GreenPower.
The manufacturer launches its eLionM, its new electric midi-minibus, and shares plans to unveil the eLionA this summer.
The dealership signs a three-year agreement with the electric bus OEM and orders an initial 15 buses for inventory.
The School District of Holmen’s six Blue Bird Vision propane buses have saved about $12,000 in fuel and maintenance costs over the 2017-18 school year.
Electric school buses are becoming more prominent in pupil transportation as the "Big 3" manufacturers release their own models and tour them, and pilots see positive results.
Diesel has long been the foremost fuel when it comes to large school buses, but there was a noteworthy shift in 2017 as gasoline Type C school buses came into the picture. Propane was the most popular alternative fuel.
John Gonzales, a senior engineer for NREL, discusses alt-fuel trends, funding from the Volkswagen settlements, and the potential of electric school buses.
The bus utilizes Motiv’s Electric Powered Intelligent Chassis, based on the Ford E-450 platform.
The cost factors of alternative fuels and the transportation impact of school reform are also key topics at the 2018 edition of the event.
The school bus manufacturer features its All American RE Electric Type D and Micro Bird’s G5 Electric Type A at the Canadian Pupil Transportation Conference trade show.
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