Thomas Built Buses Receives First Major Order for School Buses with SCR Technology
29 December 2009
Thomas Built Buses has received an order for 59 Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses. The contract, which was concluded with Montgomery County, Maryland, is the first major order for buses with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology received by Thomas Built Buses.
In MY 2010 Thomas buses, SCR reduces NOx emissions to near zero and offers a fuel economy improvement. Testing by Cummins—Thomas’s engine partner—shows a 5-9% fuel economy advantage compared to in-cylinder EGR. By using the existing engine architecture, diesel oxidation catalyst and diesel particulate filter, plus the SCR hardware, SCR technology allows the engine to function at higher, more optimal combustion temperatures, which increases fuel efficiency and reliability.
American Bus Sales and Service is the Thomas Built Buses dealer for Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. The Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses will be delivered to Montgomery County public schools in summer 2010. Each of the buses seats up to 90 students.
Thomas Built Buses is the leading manufacturer of school buses in North America, with more than one third of the market. Thomas Built Buses, Inc. is a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America, the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer on the continent and a leading manufacturer of Class 4–8 vehicles. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets commercial vehicles under the Freightliner, Western Star, and Thomas Built Buses nameplates.
It goes at a glacial pace, I would rather see natural gas or DME powered school buses, but this is better than nothing. It must be hard for school districts that are already struggling with budgets to pay more for these buses, but they do it because they are cleaner.
Posted by: SJC | 29 December 2009 at 09:00 AM
This is a very small step at a high price. PHEV school buses could use much small ICE and increase fuel savings to 50++%.
Posted by: HarveyD | 29 December 2009 at 09:28 AM