Cost savings. Decreased impact on the environment. Move to domestic fuels. These are some of the reasons transit operators chose to purchase propane autogas-fueled vehicles. Here are four transit agencies that made the switch.
San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
Last year, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) rolled out its fleet of 77 buses fueled by propane autogas. The alternatively fueled buses help the agency reduce its operating costs, and will reduce emissions by 2 million pounds per year.
“This is a great example of how MTS is realizing cost-savings and helping communities reduce emissions,” said MTS Chief Executive Officer Paul Jablonski. “MTS will save about $5.8 million over the five to seven-year lifecycle of the vehicles and reduce the carbon intensity by 71 percent.”
MTS purchased 31 minibuses and 46 paratransit buses fueled by propane. Over the lifetime of the fleet, more than 7.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide will be eliminated from MTS’s total carbon footprint — the equivalent of taking 747 passenger vehicles off the road for a year according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s equivalencies calculator.
Historically, propane autogas costs 40 percent less than gasoline and up to 50 percent less than diesel. MTS currently pays $1.99 per gallon for gasoline and $1.39 per gallon for propane autogas.
Delaware Transit Corp.
Delaware Transit Corp. (DTC) also made the switch to propane autogas. After a two-year pilot program testing five propane autogas paratransit buses, DTC purchased 50 more, and will purchase an additional 75 by 2018. That will bring the total number of propane autogas-fueled vehicles in DART’s paratransit fleet to 130 — almost half the fleet.
“Our first five propane-fueled buses collectively traveled 450,000 miles with no fuel system-related failures, and saved $15,000 in fuel costs alone,” said John T. Sisson, chief executive officer of Delaware Transit Corporation. “That, combined with the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, made it an easy decision to expand the propane program with our new private fuel stations and 130 buses by 2018.”
Currently, DTC pays $.78 per gallon for propane autogas compared with $1.75 per gallon for gasoline.
Each of the propane autogas paratransit buses will reduce more than 91,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over its lifetime compared to gasoline models. Propane autogas has the added environmental benefit of reducing emissions.
Vehicles fueled by propane autogas emit up to 18 percent fewer greenhouse gases with 20 percent less nitrogen oxide, 60 percent less carbon monoxide, and fewer particulate emissions than models fueled by gasoline. When compared to diesel, fueling with propane autogas results in an estimated 80 percent reduction in smog-forming hydrocarbon emissions and virtually eliminates particulate matter.
Lee County Transit
Last year, LeeTran increased the public transit agency’s propane fleet to 20, or 45 percent of its entire paratransit fleet. The agency has reduced its fuel costs by 20 percent using this alternative fuel.
“We are converting our vehicles to operate on propane autogas for a number of reasons. It’s an American made fuel with significant environmental benefits; converting to propane infrastructure is more affordable; and propane autogas offers lower fuels prices,” said Robert Southall, maintenance manager of LeeTran, the public transit provider for Lee County. “Currently, we are paying about 50 cents per gallon for propane autogas compared to about $1.46 for diesel, which is on the rise.”
By fueling with propane autogas, LeeTran is eliminating 1.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide over the shuttles’ lifetime, compared to conventionally fueled counterparts.
Flint Mass Transportation Authority
Michigan's Flint Mass Transportation Authority (MTA) has been running propane autogas paratransit buses since 2011. It now has 101 Ford E-450 paratransit buses and 16 Blue Bird transit buses fueled by propane in its fleet.
According to Flint MTA, the new alternative fuel buses cut costs, reduce harmful emissions and take advantage of a domestically produced fuel. By operating on propane autogas, the agency's vehicles eliminate more than 200,000 pounds of carbon dioxide during the lifetime of each Ford E-450, and 800 pounds of nitrogen oxide and 35 pounds of particulate matter every year for each Blue Bird bus.
“Blue Bird Propane Visions buses allow Flint to provide green, affordable public transportation while saving taxpayer dollars,” said Ed Benning, general manager and CEO for Flint Mass Transportation Agency.
Flint MTA pays $.75 per gallon for autogas compared to $1.65 for diesel. Federal tax credits in 2016 (which have not yet been renewed for 2017) provide an additional 36-cent per gallon savings, bringing their propane autogas cost to less than 40 cents per gallon. Flint MTA expects to save $70,000 per shuttle bus during their normal lifecycle of 10 years and 350,000 miles, for a total savings of more than $5 million — before any fuel tax credits.
Flint MTA purchased the Blue Bird buses with Federal Transit Administration funding. The FTA New Model Bus Testing Program (known as Altoona testing) rates new buses on safety, structural integrity and durability, reliability, performance, maintainability, noise and fuel economy.
In addition to the Blue Bird commercial Type C bus, the Altoona-tested ROUSH CleanTech Ford E-450 can be purchased using a transit agency’s FTA funds.
In the past five years ROUSH CleanTech has deployed more than 800 propane autogas vehicles in the transit industry. Whether it’s chosen for a rapid return on investment, energy security or a carbon footprint reduction, propane autogas is versatile and readily available.
Todd Mouw is the vice president of sales and marketing for Roush CleanTech.
