Blue Bird: 5000 Gasoline School Buses In 2 Years

With aftertreatment avoidance once again playing a role, Blue Bird Corp. said it has delivered its 5000th gasoline-powered school bus, following its introduction a little more than two years ago.

The Blue Bird Vision Gasoline bus is built around a 320 hp Ford 6.8 L, V10 engine and equipped with a Roush CleanTech fuel system.  The engine drives a Ford 6R140, six-speed automatic transmission. Torque is 460 lb-ft. at 3000 rpm. Capable of carrying 83 passengers, the bus has a GVWR up to 33,000 lbs. and a fuel tank capacity of 60 to 100 gal.

WE Transport in Plainview, NY, received the milestone bus, along with 59 other Blue Bird Vision Gasoline buses. Nearly 1000 school districts now operate Blue Bird’s gasoline school bus, the company said.

Blue Bird said the Type C gasoline bus has grown in popularity due to low upfront costs, reliable cold-weather startup and heating capabilities, ease of fueling accessibility, and maintenance cost savings. The company added that the interest in the gasoline-fueled buses also came about because the vehicles require no aftertreatment systems or fluids and are thus are thought to be easier to maintain. The buses also run on the same Ford/Roush CleanTech powertrain system, which operates on thousands of buses in the Blue Bird propane platform.

“This is the first time WE Transport has brought fuel other than diesel into our bus fleet,” said Bart Marksohn, owner of WE Transport. “Our wish for an affordable, reliable bus came true when Blue Bird and our dealer, Bird Bus, offered the Vision gasoline model. We are extremely happy with our decision and foresee gasoline being a big part of our future operations.”