Images and article courtesy of Roush Cleantech.
Newport News Public Schools is an urban Virginia school district that educates approximately 26,500 students in 41 schools. The district transports around 24,000 students via 202 bus routes on which buses are required to navigate tight city roads and heavy stop-and-go traffic.
The district operates 317 total school buses; 153 of them are propane school buses.
“For the past 20 years, Newport News Public Schools has increased its focus on environmentally friendly and practical actions that reduce carbon emissions and ensure energy efficiency,” said Shay Coates, transportation executive director for the district. “The added benefits of economical and environmentally friendly operations, in comparison to diesel, made propane an easy choice for the school district.”
Powerful Propane Data
With more than six years of propane bus operation under its belt, Newport News School District has seen dramatic cost savings when compared to diesel models. The district reported $0.15 cost per mile savings for fuel and $0.13 cost per mile savings for parts for an annual savings of $952,000 for the 2022-2023 school year alone.
Coates said that in 2017, savings were smaller but with the big diesel price hike, the district has seen significant savings the past few years. “With at least $0.25 per mile savings and nearly 8 million miles driven with our propane buses, we estimate over $2 million in savings since 2017,” said Coates. “And that’s not including the alternative fuels tax refunds that we received.”
Coates reported that from 2018 through 2024, there has been an alternative fuels tax refund with the IRS that is about $0.37 per gallon of propane autogas used. Coates believes it’s a great time for school districts to consider propane autogas. Grants, rebates and other incentive programs from public and private organizations are available to help with adoption, including the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program and the federal alternative fuel excise tax credit.
Clean Operation
School buses equipped with ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas engines, like the ones at Newport News School District, are 90% cleaner in nitrogen oxides than the EPA’s strictest standard and 99% cleaner than diesel buses built before 2007.
“By reducing nitrogen oxides that are produced by diesel engines, we make a safer environment for our students, drivers, technicians and community,” Coates said.
The district’s propane school buses also emit fewer greenhouse gases, smog-producing hydrocarbons and virtually eliminate particulate emissions compared with conventional fuels.
Reliable, Flexible Infrastructure
For fueling, Newport News School District worked with a local propane provider, electing to install two 18,000-gallon onsite fueling stations in 2017, and are in the process of constructing a third.
“Propane is safer for the environment compared to diesel or gasoline,” said Coates. “Therefore, we had less regulations to navigate for our onsite propane tanks.”
The district can fuel five propane buses at a time. “We have 100-gallon tanks on our buses and are comfortable traveling up to 340 miles on a single tank,” said Coates.
A Positive Experience
When Coates meets with transportation directors from other districts, he shares that working with propane school buses has been a positive experience. He recommends that fleets looking to migrate to an alternative fuel carefully consider the level of support and reliability of the fuel.
Coates says the district is committed to operating a fully propane-powered fleet. “Propane autogas is the best choice for Newport News Public Schools because it is economical, safer, environmentally friendly and offers many bus maintenance advantages.”
There are more than 22,000 propane-fueled school buses in over 1,000 school districts across the nation, including over 400 in Virginia.
Todd Mouw is executive vice president of sales and marketing of ROUSH CleanTech, an industry leader of advanced clean vehicle technology. Mouw has more than two decades of experience in the automotive and high-tech industries. As former president of the NTEA Green Truck Association, Mouw helped set standards in the green trucking industry. To learn more, visit ROUSHcleantech.com.