The Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township in Indiana has added 20 propane autogas-powered school buses to its fleet, reports the Westside Flyer. The buses are expected to save the township approximately $700,000 in fuel and maintenance costs over the lifetime of the vehicles.
The buses were purchased with help from the Indiana Office of Energy Development, which provided a $45,000 grant. The Office of Energy Development awarded a total of $275,430 last year to several school districts in the state to help finance the purchase of 49 propane autogas buses. The school district also traded in 30 older diesel buses in order to finance the purchase.
The Township expects to pay just $1.15 per gallon for propane autogas, compared with $2.50 a gallon for diesel fuel. Oil changes will also be cheaper, as the propane buses require just seven quarts of oil every 5,000 miles, compared with 34 quarts of oil every 8,000 miles for diesel buses.
When the propane autogas buses arrive in early May, Wayne Township says it will have the largest propane bus fleet in the state.
