Thursday 21 June 2018

‘Less than 0.01% of US school buses use alternative fuel sources’

Less than 0.01% of US school buses use alternative fuel sources such as electricity.

That's according to the Diesel Technology Forum, which has released new data showing 95% of all school buses in operation in 2017 were powered by diesel engines.

The organisation states around 2.5% are powered by gasoline, 1.9% by propane and 0.6% by natural gas.

It suggests around 40% of America’s school buses use the newest generation of advanced diesel technology, up from just 31% in 2016.

It claims these buses are equipped with selective catalytic reduction and other clean technologies, which combine to achieve a 90% reduction in particulate matter and a 94% reduction in smog-forming nitrogen oxide compounds compared to older generations of the technology.

Allen Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum, said: "Innovation in diesel technology continues to add to its benefits: using blends of US-grown advanced renewable biodiesel fuel in either existing or new diesel engines can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an additional 50% to 85%.

"A growing number of school districts around the country are choosing these advanced renewable biodiesel fuels for their buses because they amplify school districts’ ability to lower their carbon footprints and green their communities."

More than three million plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles are now on the world’s roads.