STN EXPO Indianapolis attendees tour the Cummins factory, where a company representative discusses battery electric power projects.
there is a long runway for propane as other blends and technologies evolve.”
Planning Ahead Given all the uncertainty, flexibility may
be key for school transportation leaders. One strategy may be an increased focus on keeping existing diesel units in excellent working order. Pudlewski pointed out that with districts typically keeping buses for 15 years, the continued use of cleaner-burning diesel vehicles will help offset some of the concerns related to future purchases of new buses as well as to traditional challenges with high-soot-emitting engines. To that end, Warsaw’s Ryan advised us-
ing all OEM parts where feasible as well as premium fuel and top-quality oil without use of additives. “I firmly believe that the additives used
to make cheap fuel and oil better are killing the emission systems of many diesel units,” he noted. “You never see an API or ASTM symbol on any of their packaging.” When it comes to obtaining new buses,
much remains to be seen. “We’re in a state of flux,” Pudlewski said.
“We don’t have all the answers right now.” Like many of his peers, Fergerson said he
www.stnonline.com 45
“I have heard all kinds of rumors surrounding diesel and gasoline engines becoming obsolete, but I haven’t
put much stock into the rumors. If this becomes a reality, we’ll treat it like we treat any change. We will weigh our options and make the best decision for the district.”
-John Fergerson, Klein Independent School District in Spring, Texas
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