Collins Bus Corp. and CleanFUEL USA have delivered 134 propane autogas school buses to student transportation services provider First Student Inc. Eighty-nine of these NEXBUS units will be used in Portland, Ore., and 45 will be deployed in Seattle.
The buses are built on a dual-rear-wheel GM chassis and use GM's 6.0-liter engine (324 hp/373 lb.-ft. torque) coupled with CleanFUEL USA's EPA- and CARB-certified autogas fuel system. These 32-passenger buses offer a range of approximately 350 miles via three autogas tanks that accommodate 37 gallons of useable capacity.
‘Portland Public Schools has been committed to propane fuel since the early 1980s,’ explains Teri Brady, interim director of student transportation for Portland Public Schools. ‘That commitment is now easier to maintain with manufacturers like Collins Bus Corp. and CleanFUEL USA allowing us to purchase factory-built propane-fueled buses directly from the manufacturer.’
First Student received grants from the U.S. Department of Energy totaling $1.34 million to help obtain the propane buses.
