The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute in April recognized Blue Bird Corporation’s dedicated propane Type C Vision with the 2009 Oxygen Award for emissions reductions it has brought to school districts across the country.
“Blue Bird is honored to be recognized for our continued efforts in promoting and offering safe & environmentally friendly school bus technology,” said Roger Howsmon, Blue Bird’s senior vice president of sales, in a statement. “The Propane-Powered Vision promotes cleaner air not only for the students our buses transport, but the effects transcend beyond to benefit the entire community. This bus is a win-win situation for all.”
Blue Bird received the Oxygen Award during the 15th National Alternative Fuels & Vehicles Conference and EXPO, held April 19-22 in Orlando, Fla.,
The Vision is the first full-size, dedicated, propane-powered school bus to be offered by a major manufacturer in the United States since 2002, and it is compliant with 2010 EPA engine emissions regulations. Dangerous exhaust from school bus tailpipes can be significantly reduced by using alternative fuels, like propane, said AFVI, and Blue Bird’s Vision has shown reductions in NOx, carbon dioxide, particulate matter and VOC emissions by as much as 83 to 99 percent.
Blue Bird said that more than 10 million vehicles worldwide are currently operating on propane. A growing number of school districts are financially benefitting from propane-powered fleets due to recent stimulus money, tax incentives and grants focused on alternative fueled vehicles. Additionally, there is a 50 cent per gallon of U.S. federal tax rebate available for propane, and some districts have received rebates of $220,000.
