FORT VALLEY, Ga. and LIVONIA, Mich. — Blue Bird Corp. is now offering an ultra-low nitrogen oxide (NOx) Type C school bus fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG).

Pupil transporters can now purchase the new 0.02 ultra-low NOx option of the Blue Bird Vision CNG bus, which features an engine that is significantly cleaner than the national emissions standard, according to Roush CleanTech.

“Our customers want bus innovations that are environmentally friendly and allow them to access emissions-based grant funding, and the Blue Bird Vision CNG bus delivers,” said Phil Horlock, president and CEO of Blue Bird. “This is a huge step for Blue Bird and the school bus industry as we continue to be the first to bring the newest and cleanest engine technology into our lineup of buses.”

Roush CleanTech developed the technology using Ford’s 6.8L V10 engine. It’s the first high-volume production CNG Type C school bus engine certified to the California Air Resources Board’s optional low NOx emissions standard of 0.02 grams per brake horsepower-hour (known as g/bhp-hr), according to Roush CleanTech. The engines are 90% cleaner than the Environmental Protection Agency’s most stringent heavy-duty engine standard of 0.2 g/bhp-hr.

“After concentrating on reaching CARB’s optional low NOx standards for our propane engine, we bring our Roush engineering success to the CNG engines by reaching the same ultra-low emissions levels,” said Ryan Zic, vice president of school bus sales at Roush CleanTech.

This certification could help school districts obtain funding that supports NOx-reducing projects, such as from the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust.

More than 150 school districts operate about 5,500 CNG buses in the U.S., according to Natural Gas Vehicles for America.