Isle of Wight County Schools recently ventured into a new era
of student transportation with the purchase of our first propane powered school
bus. We began researching the
possibility of adding propane buses to our fleet this past fall. In March, a representative from Carter
Machinery gave a presentation to our School Board on the benefits of using
propane versus diesel buses. Afterwards,
we moved forward with acquiring the first propane bus for IWCS. Currently, the bus is receiving some light
use during this “trial run”. It is currently being
used to transport students to one of our regional programs, on a few field
trips and as a substitute bus. We’ll be
investigating the addition of more to the fleet when we purchase replacement
buses for next year.
I’m sure some of you are asking “Why propane?” First, it is a much cleaner fuel than
diesel. As Transportation Coordinator
Lee Livingston told me, diesel was never meant to be green. A lot of money goes in to making a diesel bus
run as “clean” as possible. Propane
buses use less oil and don’t require all the sensors and parts needed for a
diesel bus to run. For example, a
catalyst in a diesel bus costs about $3,500 to replace, and this part will
typically need to be replaced at least twice over the expected 15 year life
cycle of a bus. Plus, you have to factor
in the labor involved, not to mention the bus being out of service during this repair.
Second, there are significant fuel rebates and tax credits
from the state and federal government associated with using alternative fuels. This makes the cost for propane fuel less
then diesel. We already have a contract
with a local company for the small amount of propane used in our
buildings. With increased usage comes
the opportunity to renegotiate our contract for a better overall price, further
reducing the cost of propane.
A third benefit is the much quieter ride. Bus drivers will be able to hear and talk to
students without having to shout over the roar of the diesel engine. This will increase safety on the bus and at
loading/unloading zones. There are other
divisions throughout Virginia already using propane buses—Roanoke, Gloucester
and Chesterfield are a few examples. The
drivers have compared the switch from diesel to propane as “going from a Pinto
to a Cadillac”. One division noted that
the only complaint they received was from a parent whose child was missing the
bus because they could no longer hear the roar of the engine as it was coming
down the road in the morning.
Propane buses do cost a little more than a diesel bus—ours
was about $9,000 more than its diesel counterpart. However, the cost differential will be
covered by a grant through the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and
Energy. Because of the savings in
maintenance and fuel, the total cost of ownership for a propane bus compared to
diesel should save the division approximately $23,000 over the 15 year life of
the vehicle.
Moving to propane buses is an innovative, cost-effective
direction for the division. The quieter engine reduces noise on the bus, which
allows the driver to focus on the road while being able to better hear what is
going on around them. Students can talk
at a normal level and not have to yell over the loud engine. In addition, the bus complies with all the
safety features required of any school bus in Virginia. Plus, the propane technology will result in
savings over the life of the bus. So
keep your eyes open for our new propane bus. You will definitely see it before
you hear it.
