School bus contractor Atlantic Express and Collins Bus Corp. announced the purchase of 25 new Type A, propane-powered vehicles for the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Serving 100 school districts nationwide, Atlantic Express is the fourth largest private school bus operator in North America, and Collins is the majority market share holder in the small school bus manufacturing market.
“Atlantic Express is an important customer for us and they operate our buses at multiple locations across the country,” said Kent Tyler, president of Collins. “They should be applauded for their efforts in converting to clean fuel technologies.”
The school buses purchased for LAUSD are built on a GM chassis with liquid propane injection systems provided by CleanFUEL USA, the same platform that Collins has used since first introducing its propane NEXBUS two years ago. The bus went into full production in July 2010.
Collins said propane lowers fuel costs for school districts and contractors while reducing greenhouse emissions more than either gas or diesel. Other advantages include extended oil life and longer engine life from lower carbon production.
In related news, GM also has announced that it is opening up its propane system to all Type A body builders on the company’s cutaway-van chassis.
Editor’s note — Look for a report on the North American Type A school bus market in the January 2012 edition of School Transportation News magazine.
