Converting school buses to LPG in the USA
Given the health risks conventional diesel school buses pose, using LPG buses to transport children to school reduces their exposure to harmful air pollution, offering environmental benefits to their communities. Improving health outcomes for children and young people in turn improves their ability to succeed in education and in life. Some studies have reported links between long-term exposure to ambient levels of particulate matter and NOx and illness-related school absenteeism. LPG school buses are also quieter, reducing noise pollution.
Given the health risks conventional diesel school buses pose, using LPG buses to transport children to school reduces their exposure to harmful air pollution, offering environmental benefits to their communities. Improving health outcomes for children and young people in turn improves their ability to succeed in education and in life. Some studies have reported links between long-term exposure to ambient levels of particulate matter and NOx and illness-related school absenteeism. LPG school buses are also quieter, reducing noise pollution.
LPG school buses also save money. There are currently 15,600 LPG school buses in operation across the United States. There are numerous reasons why LPG can be a lower overall cost option than diesel on a total cost of ownership basis – including federal and state incentives which make the fuel cost very competitive, lower maintenance costs, and a lower likelihood of downtime for repairs given the absence of complex after-treatment systems required with diesel engines.
In the state of Nevada, USA, the 48 LPG buses in operation transport 18,400 students daily, saving the state around US$80,000 a year, compared to diesel counterparts. In the Alvin ISD school district, a large suburban area located just outside Houston, Texas which operates more than 100 Autogas school buses, drivers reported a strong preference for using LPG buses, stating improved performance and reduced maintenance times as key factors. In this district, where LPG buses comprise half of the school bus fleet and cover nearly a million miles each year, 50% is saved on fuel costs annually, refueling time has been halved and extended motor oil changes only occur every 10,000 miles, in contrast to every 6,000 miles with dieselfueled buses.
According to the WLPGA, if the USA’s 459,000 school buses currently fueled by diesel are converted to LPG, not only would the children breathe healthier air, but also – based on savings achieved in Nevada through switching school buses to operate on LPG – over a billion dollars per year could be saved.
