Alternative Fuel/CNG Compressed Natural Gas Buses
Compressed natural gas mpg is roughly equivalent to a conventional gasoline vehicle. Natural gas is sold in units of diesel or gasoline gallon equivalents (GGEs) based on the energy content of a gallon of gasoline or diesel fuel making it easy to compare CNG bus mpg for CNG buses vs Diesel buses.In addition CNG allows for operators to receive tax incentives for purchasing both CNG-powered buses and CNG fuel, including a United States 50-cent rebate on every CNG gasoline-gallon-equivalent purchased under various Federal Laws and Incentives for Natural Gas.CNG is readily available with more than 600 stations across the United States and easy to use station locators at
the U.S. Department of Energy or
CNGprices.com. Refueling CNG buses is fast and easy as shown
How to refuel CNG Vehicles brochure provided by the
Railroad Commission of Texas Alternative Energy Division.
Even though power, acceleration, and cruising speed of compressed natural gas buses are similar to their gasoline and diesel counterparts, CNG bus mileage per tank is generally less because natural gas is less dense than gasoline or diesel. To provide adequate driving range, CNG is stored onboard a vehicle in cylinders at a pressure of 3,000 to 3,600 pounds per square inch. Extra natural gas storage tanks can help increase range for longer trips.As a relatively new vehicle type there are few compressed natural gas bus safety and risk assessment documents available. CNG is a flammable gas, but it has a narrow flammability range, making it an inherently safe fuel. Strict safety standards make CNG buses as safe as gasoline-powered buses.Compressed natural gas is a green fuel. It produces twenty to forty-five percent less smog-producing pollutants and five to nine percent less greenhouse gas emissions than diesel.Compressed Natural Gas can reduce North American dependency on foreign oil. 80-90% of the United States natural gas consumption is currently produced domestically. Abundant U.S. natural gas reserves provide security for your fuel supply during times of international political volatility.
Compressed Natural Gas School Buses like the
Blue Bird All American Rear Engine CNG or the
Blue Bird CNG-Powered Vision can be ordered today.
Blue Bird Corporation. (2013). Retrieved from
Alternative Fuels: Compressed Natural Gas.
United States Department of Energy. (2013). Retrieved from
Alternative Fuels Data Center and
www.fueleconomy.gov.