Thomas Built Buses expanded its alternative-powered product offerings with the addition of a new propane-fueled Minotour bus. Thomas Built's green vehicle lineup also includes the Saf-T-Liner C2eHybrid and HDX compressed natural gas (CNG) models. A propane-fueled offering of the innovative Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner C2 bus is in development and expected to be available in 2013.
"At Thomas Built, we want to produce a full line of buses that exceed current environmental standards. As the demand grows for sustainable transportation solutions, Thomas Built Buses is at the forefront of offering a robust line of alternative-powered vehicles including compressed natural gas, diesel-electric hybrid and propane technology," said Kelley Platt, president and CEO of Thomas Built Buses. Thomas Built was the first and remains the only school bus manufacturer that is completely Zero-Waste-to-Landfill, building every bus with a high level of environmental standards.
The Thomas Built Minotour is a Type A bus, seating up to 30 passengers, making it an excellent choice for schools, childcare centers and churches. The propane option is available on the 159" dual rear wheel (DRW) model with a GVWR of 14,200 lbs. Powered by a GM 6.0 liter liquid propane gas (LPG) engine with fully-integrated CleanFUEL USA liquid propane injection system, the 3-tank set-up has an estimated 315-mile range and a gas gallon equivalent of 35 gallons.
The propane-fueled Minotour is California Air Research Board-certified and exceeds EPA 2010 emissions requirements. Less expensive than a gallon of gasoline or diesel on a BTU basis, propane is a green, clean-burning alternative fuel, with 20 percent less NOxand 12 percent less CO2 than gasoline. More than 90 percent of the propane used in the U.S. is domestically produced. Setting up propane fueling infrastructure is an easy and relatively low-cost proposition.
Thomas Built Buses has already delivered its first two propane-fueled Minotour buses to Student Transportation of America.
