COVER STORY


Collins Moves Forward With Alt-Fuel Line Up, Especially Propane Portland, Ore., was


an opportune place for Collins Bus to display a sampling from its latest order received for an alter- native-fuel


Type A


school bus. Portland Public Schools loaned


one of its new Collins NexBus Propane buses so the manufac- turer — North America’s largest by volume across its three brands: Collins, Corbeil and Mid Bus — could show it at the NAPT Summit Trade Show in early November. “Up to now, our small buses were not available directly from a


manufacturer; they had to be converted to propane by local ven- dors after purchase,” said Andy Leibenguth, the interim director of student transportation at PPS, in November. “We are thrilled that Collins and Western Bus Sales now offer Type A school buses with dedicated propane engines.” “We really do think our propane product will be big this year,”


added John Doswell, vice president of sales and marketing at Collins. Doswell said that real-life data coming down on propane fuel


economy from field tests, so far mostly from hilly, urban school bus routes, points to about 10 to 11 MPG, about on par with Collins’ regular gasoline models. And the average fuel cost can be half that of gas or diesel. Certified performance numbers were expected soon. Doswell also said data has been favorable on cold


starts and the engine gauging and the 32-passenger maximum capacity bus has a range of 300 miles. Collins is partnering with Clean Fuels USA, which was given


the engine codes to modify GM’s existing engine control system to work with a liquid propane injection system. Te result is the GM-certified propane NexBus under full warranty. Tere is no degradation of the GM drive train, and if a Clean Fuels USA com- ponent must be re-worked, Clean Fuels’ own warranty kicks in. So far at least, Collins also holds the distinction of offering


the most engines of any Type A manufacturer at four. Ford’s decision to forgo a medium-duty diesel application will af- fect all OEMs in the Type A marketplace, but GM continues to offer diesel as well as gasoline and the hybrid version of the NexBus, which is entering its third year on the market. GM also announced shortly before the end of last year that soon it would be offering the LPG injection system straight from its medium-duty production line that utilizes the same Clean Fu- els USA technology, which remains proprietary to Collins. And, GM certifies biodiesel in its engine. “Tat’s fine with us, because as soon as they come out with it


our competitors will have access to it and we like our exclusive deal with GM and Clean Fuels,” Doswell added. To date, Collins is the only small bus supplier with multiple alt-


fuel offerings. Te company continues to offer its NexBus Hybrid, which was the first alt-fuel offering in the Type A market. Te bus is powered by technology from Azure Dynamics and is built on the Ford E-450 chassis. ■


TransTech Focuses on Type A Models, Keeps Eye on Overall Market For TransTech, it was


in with the new but not out with the old when it recently introduced the RoadStar prod- uct series. Te models offer a narrow body dual-rear-wheeled configuration. But, like


most manufacturers, the company understands the current bud- getary landscape shaping school bus purchase decisions. “Te Type A school bus market has certainly been influenced by


the environment in the United States over the past 12 to 18 months, and the impact of these conditions on school budgets, resulting in a contraction of the market,” said Dan Daniels, TransTech’s president. Additionally, Daniels said he believes EPA emissions require-


ments have negatively impacted Type A bus purchases. But, he said he is also anticipating the 2011 calendar year to be on the upswing, due to “delayed purchases and pent-up demand for the Type A products.”


34 School Transportation News Magazine January 2011


No matter the economy, TransTech is focusing on improved


safety and quality innovations with advanced engineering design and manufacturing techniques. Tese include improved aero- dynamics for reduced drag and improved fuel economy, lower perimeter impact panels, a cab-over panel frame design and a bolted body cage, and its Slide-Track seating system, which can ac- commodate future seat upgrades. But when it comes to alternative fuels, TransTech is keeping any


future plans under wraps. Although the company sees that most school bus manufacturers are either manufacturing, developing or discussing alternative fueled vehicles, TransTech is “not prepared to make any product announcements at this time,” said Daniels. And even the recent introduction of a new player into the


Type A market has not derailed the company’s plans in any way. “TransTech’s primary focus is on our business formula and how


we can best serve our market segment, although we are aware of our competitors,” said Daniels. “Te introduction of another Type A manufacturer certainly impacts the market. If the market is not in expansion, then the market segment will be diluted, and price is always a concern in this situation.” ■


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