Blue Bird delivers propane-powered school bus fleet to School District of Philadelphia

Electric and low-emission school bus maker Blue Bird Corporation announced it has delivered its first fleet of propane-powered buses to the School District of Philadelphia (SDP). The company said it supplied a total of 38 Vision propane-powered school buses earlier this year to help the district accelerate its shift to clean student transportation. According to Blue Bird, SDP is the largest school district in Pennsylvania, serving nearly 200,000 students in 218 schools.

The buses can carry a maximum of 42 students for up to 300 miles on a single tank of propane gas, Blue Bird said, adding that they generate 96 percent fewer harmful emissions than their diesel counterparts.

According to Blue Bird, propane-powered school buses also lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) of bus fleets, with school districts benefiting from fuel and maintenance cost savings of up to $3,700 per bus annually compared with diesel buses. As such, SDP’s propane-powered bus fleet could save the district more than $2.1 million over the 15-year life of its vehicles.

“SDP already operates five Blue Bird electric, zero-emission school buses,” said Albert Burleigh, vice president of North America bus sales at Blue Bird. “Utilizing electric and propane-powered school buses, the school district combines the most technologically advanced clean school buses in its fleet leading the way to creating sustainable student transportation.”

Blue Bird said it is the only school bus manufacturer in the United States to offer propane-powered school buses. While the current propane engine is 90 percent cleaner than the most stringent federal emission standard set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the company said its propane-powered school buses already exceed the more strict emissions standards that will take effect in 2027.

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