Rather large capital investments in NGV dedicated vehicles, LNG/CNG fueling in- frastructure, the delivery transportation system, maintenance site and training would be required to make natural gas an option for replacing diesel powered me- dium- and heavy-duty school buses. While natural gas prices rely on uncer-
tain, long-term investment, diesel prices rely on a volatile market. Diesel fuel costs fluctuate wildly– the national
average
price of diesel fuel increased about 30 per- cent over the last year. Because both diesel and natural gas prices are affected by un- predictable forces in worldwide energy markets, future diesel and natural gas fuel costs are unclear. Still, as of mid-May, diesel
Visit
www.stnonline.com to access monthly editions in digital format.
THE DEBATE GOES ON According to an article published by NG-
VAmerica, there are about 112,000 NGV vehicles (all types) on U.S. roads today. Tat’s a very small number when compared to the millions powered by diesel and gasoline. How many school bus operators have
purchased natural gas powered vehicles and fueling infrastructure without receiving grants or special funding to offset the higher costs? How many would have purchased natural gas powered vehicles without those grants, or without being mandated to do so?
fuel prices were more than twice as expen- sive as natural gas prices, which has a cost equivalent of about $1.80 per gallon com- pared to $4.12 per gallon for diesel. Meanwhile, policies to further dis-
courage diesel use were being written in California. Whether these policies will increase the number of school buses pow- ered by natural gas or just add kindling to a heated debate remains to be seen.
Finally, the EPA tailpipe emission reduc-
tion mandates from 2000 through 2010 resulted in tailpipe emission reductions through fuel, technology and chassis com- ponent design changes that in 2010 have reduced new diesel engine exhaust par- ticulates by approximately 90 percent and lowered exhaust NOx emissions to near zero limits. Truly, this is a technological marvel that will provide clean diesel operation for decades to come. However, the cost of emis- sions reduction technology introduced over the last 10 years has added approximately 20 percent just to the base cost of school buses. Sadly, the full benefit of the EPA man-
dated 2010 tailpipe emissions reduction probably won’t be realized until 2030. ■
Pudlewski is the retired vice president of fleet operations for Laidlaw Education Services and First Student. More info on this topic is available at
www.stnonline.com/go/818.
AX-0009 Privitization ad STN:AX-0009 Privitization ad STN 7/12/10 3:31 PM Page 1
Atlantic Express fleets have access to and can be equipped with GreenRoad™, a high tech personalized driving coach combined with GPS that provides immediate feedback to help measure, improve and sustain safe and fuel-efficient driving decisions. Drivers, transportation managers and any other personnel are provided access to web-based performance reports and analysis. The system empowers drivers and fleets to reduce crashes, improve fuel economy and reduce overall vehicle operating costs.
GreenRoad is just one of the innovations you can expect when you choose Atlantic Express for your student transportation. Let us provide safe, clean, reliable transportation for your school district. To learn more, call 1-800-336-3886 ext. 8073.
7 North Street Staten Island, NY 10302
www.atlanticexpress.com See Us At Booth # 106 64 School Transportation News Magazine July 2011
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