Collins Bus Corporation Enters Agreement With CleanFUEL USA to Develop LPI Type A School Bus
03 September 2009
| The GM Cutaway G4500 will be the basis for the Collins LPI Type A buses. Click to enlarge. |
Collins Bus Corporation has entered an exclusive agreement with CleanFUEL USA to develop the first Type A small school bus to operate on autogas with a Liquid Propane Injection (LPI) system. Type A school buses can typically transport between 14 and 30 passengers.
CleanFUEL USA is a leader in the development of Liquid Propane Injection and the only company that will currently offer an EPA- and CARB-certified system on the GM 6.0L gasoline engine cutaway chassis. Collins, as the largest builder of Type A school buses will offer this system as an option for several of its GM dual rear wheel models (e.g., the Collins Super Bantam).
Propane fuel, when compared to diesel and gasoline, provides a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and has the potential to reduce fuel costs with the federal tax credit of $0.50 per gallon for propane. The Department of Energy also states that the low carbon and reduced oil contamination of propane has resulted in a higher documented engine life of up to two times that of gasoline engines.
CleanFUEL USA’s LPI system replaces the gasoline fuel tank, fuel pump and injector rails with an OEM compatible propane fuel system. This modification results in lower intake valve temperatures, denser air-fuel charges, greatly reduced criteria emissions and greenhouse gases, more complete combustion, and improved fuel economy and performance.
Collins Bus Corporation, a subsidiary of Collins Industries, Inc., markets three brands of Type-A buses throughout North America (Collins, Mid Bus, and Corbeil). They have the largest distribution network of any Type-A bus company with more than 70 dealers in the United States and Canada.
In April, Collins announced a partnership with Azure Dynamics that will allow Collins to offer Azure’s proprietary Balance Hybrid Electric drivetrain as an option on Type A school buses built on Ford’s E-450 chassis. (Earlier post.)
Yes we can pretend to be environmentally correct by using a higher value more limited fossil fuel especially if there is a tax credit so that others can pay for our pretense. Hydraulic hybrids have proven to be more fuel economical on any and all fuels; they must now be mandated just as energy efficient refrigerators are. ..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 07 September 2009 at 11:45 AM