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Everyone deserves access to environmentally friendly energy, especially children. But look closer and you’ll find that the benefits of propane-powered school buses are good for your district’s bottom line too.
Cleaner Performance For Your Fleet — and Your Community
Propane school buses are an excellent way to reduce emissions and improve air quality in your district—while meeting your energy needs. School bus engines powered by low-carbon propane are 90% cleaner than EPA standards. In fact, propane school buses have a lower average carbon intensity score over the lifetime of the vehicle than even electric buses. And they emit up to 96% less nitrogen oxide than diesel buses, nearly eliminating exposure to toxins that aggravate asthma and other health issues.
Helping Students Make the Grade
Emissions aren’t the only risk that other school buses pose to your district. Noise generated by diesel school buses can prevent drivers from hearing important cues inside or outside the bus. Propane buses operate far more quietly than diesel buses, creating a safer, less disruptive environment for both drivers and children on the way to school. In fact, a Georgia State University study revealed that children using lower-emission transportation earned higher English test scores, showing that cleaner choices have benefits inside the classroom too.
Carry Students, Not Costs
Not only do new propane school buses cost a third of the price of new electric models, but propane school buses have the lowest total cost of ownership too. With less carbon residue and build-up, propane engines run far longer than diesel, with replacement parts that are affordable and readily available. These are cost savings that can be reinvested into what really matters: the needs of your district’s educators and students.
Getting Funded Has Never Been Easier
Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the EPA has committed $5 billion in grants and rebates through FY2026 towards replacing the nation’s diesel and gasoline school buses with clean alternatives—including propane. Across the nation, the transportation directors that do their homework realize that propane school buses make decarbonization achievable without compromising the financial sustainability of their school districts.
When diesel school bus fleets are converted to propane, districts can afford more vehicles and more infrastructure with lower operational costs, ultimately making a greater impact per dollar on community air quality and emissions reductions than investing in electric vehicles alone. See how your district can apply for EPA funding with our Clean School Bus Toolkit.
Clean. Quiet. Reliable. Affordable. It’s why propane is the most widely-used alternative energy for school buses and the smart choice for today’s student transportation needs. Learn more at BetterOurBuses.com.
