The Diesel Technology Forum pointed out in a November webinar that diesel continues to be the most energy efficient internal combustion engine, resulting in improved mileage per gallon. For those who still want an “alterna-
tive” fuel, diesel now provides that as well. Enter renewable diesel, which is slowly but surely coming online as a domestic North American product. The California Air Resources Board found that using biodiesel blends or drop-in renewable diesel can reduce greenhouse
gases (GHG) by 50 to 80 percent. The Cali- fornia Energy Commission Low Carbon Fuel Standard Dashboard indicates that biodiesel and renewable diesel account for four times the reduction in cumulative carbon dioxide compared to electric. For these reasons, Thomas Built Buses has
doubled down on diesel, as seen with its of- fering of the Detroit DD5 and DD8 engines, which Childers said are equivalent in clean emissions to other engines. “They are easier to maintain and require
fewer regens,” he explained. “In addition, with new clean-diesel engines, districts won’t have to invest in new fueling infrastructure, tools and training to convert to another fuel type like propane or gasoline. Without the extra costs of additional training and fueling infra- structure, clean diesel is the preferred fuel type for most districts today and into the future, until a fleet is ready for the next level: electric.” Childers continued that Thomas Buses sees the future of the school bus industry
driven by electric power. “School buses are perfectly suited for electric operation, so it is just a matter of time before we see a signif- icant portion of the industry shifting to this new power source.”
An Electric Opportunity Electric school buses certainly have gar-
nered much press. President Joe Biden has signaled his interest in electrifying school buses nationwide, and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos last year granted tens of millions of dollars to the World Resources Institute to further spark acceptance, namely by further incentivizing vehicle manufacturers and electric utility companies. School districts reticent to embrace elec-
tric often cite the upfront cost, which can be three times that of a comparable diesel bus. Even then, districts reported financial incentives and grants and lower ownership costs as the main reasons for buying electric buses, according to a recent School Trans- portation News survey. Operations that have gone electric note significantly less main- tenance repairs and hence costs than with diesel, and manufacturers and dealers typi- cally provide free training and maintenance under warranty terms. The same can be said for propane and CNG, which now offer near-zero emissions and are eligible under renewed alt-fuel tax credits. Increasingly, student transporters are accepting higher “alternative fuel” sticker prices for reduced maintenance costs down the road. Manufacturers are also increasingly rec-
ommending that school districts buy new purpose-built electric buses rather than
www.stnonline.com 21
Watch a recent webinar from the Diesel
Technology Forum on the future of diesel and the role being played by advanced renewable biofuels.
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