The Beaverton School District recently purchased 12 new Type C Blue Bird Vision Conventional School Buses. The Oregon district plans to evaluate the performance of each bus over the next four to six months to determine whether to further invest in this technology.
The BSD Transportation Department obtained these additional buses this year as part of the Bus Replacement Plan bond measure that passed in a 2014.
According to the BSD Transportation Department, these new buses come equipped with a wheelchair lift and seating for 36 ambulatory passengers with one wheelchair position.
The Vision’s Ford three-valve 6.8L V10 engine include the ROUSH CleanTech’s Liquid Propane Autogas Fuel System with a fuel tank capacity of 67 usable gallons, which is installed between the frame rails for added safety.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board have certified all Blue Bird propane autogas buses since vehicles fueled by propane autogas emit 80 percent fewer smog-producing hydrocarbons and eliminate particulate matter when compared to diesel.
Since 2012, Blue Bird and ROUSH have partnered to provide propane autogas school buses. Nore than 5,500 of these vehicles have been deployed throughout the U.S. and Canada.
