By Larry Shields, Director of Maintenance, MITS—
MUNCIE, IN—Muncie Indiana Transit System is a crucial part of the community. Our demand-response vehicles serve nearly a million riders per year, which translates to more than 800,000 miles.
That’s a lot, in both cases. Like any business, MITS has to be mindful of costs, and this year fuel prices in the state have skyrocketed — $4.99 per gallon for gasoline and a whopping $6.92 per gallon for diesel, all due to global supply disruptions.
The good news is that we operate 13 buses fueled by propane. Yes, the same fuel you probably use for your grill on the weekends is a well-heeled alternative to both gas and diesel, and we’ve used these vehicles since 2014.
The reason, besides the fact that propane is near-zero emissions, is cost. The agency’s price for a gallon of propane is $1.28, and with a contract “not to exceed” price with our propane provider, we’ll be paying no more than $1.90 per gallon through 2027.
MITS propane transit bus. Photo provided by MITS.
The simple math says MITS is saving upward of $3.70 per gallon in fuel costs for our propane buses. But it’s much more than that. Propane is historically 40% to 50% lower per gallon than diesel or gas because it is recycled material that’s made here in America and largely shielded from market volatility. As of last summer, propane cost 70% less than gas and roughly 80% less than diesel.
In other words, we’re seeing a huge upside compared with other fuels. Not only are we saving on per-gallon fuel costs, the range per fueling is superb, there are very few infrastructure and maintenance requirements, the emissions are low, and the drivers love them. It takes minutes to fuel up a propane bus, just like diesel or gas.
Transit agencies all over the state transport tens of thousands of people in propane buses. MITS is one of them, and it’s good to be on the leading edge of this technology.
For more information, visit MITSbus.org.
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