School districts and transportation contractors can now purchase buses fueled by compressed natural gas that are 90% cleaner than the national emissions standard, opening more opportunities for funding that supports reduced emissions.

ROUSH CleanTech developed the technology using Ford’s 6.8L V10 engine. It’s the first high-volume production CNG Type-C school bus engine certified to California Air Resources Board’s optional low nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions standard of 0.02 grams per brake horsepower-hour (g/bhp-hr).

The CNG engines are 90% cleaner than the Environmental Protection Agency’s most stringent heavy-duty engine standard of 0.2 g/bhp-hr.

Our customers want bus innovations that are environmentally friendly and allow them to access emissions-based grant funding, and the Blue Bird Vision CNG bus delivers. This is a huge step for Blue Bird and the school bus industry s we continue to be the first to bring the newest and cleanest engine technology into our lineup of buses.

—Phil Horlock, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corporation

After concentrating on reaching CARB’s optional low-NO_x standards for our propane engine, we bring our Roush engineering success to the CNG engines by reaching the same ultra-low emissions.

—Ryan Zic, vice president of school bus sales at ROUSH CleanTech

As a lower-carbon fuel, CNG is naturally cleaner than diesel and gasoline. This certification will help school districts obtain funding that supports NO_x-reducing projects, such as the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust.

More than 150 school districts operate about 5,500 CNG buses in the United States. CNG is an abundant, low-cost fuel, averaging about 65% lower in cost per equivalent gallon than diesel.

The new 0.02 ultra-low NO_x option is now available to order for Blue Bird Vision CNG school buses.