The Delaware Transit Corporation’s (DTC) has a new LPG station in New Castle and the agency plans to increase its fleet of propane-powered paratransit buses. After a two-year pilot program testing five propane Autogas paratransit buses, DTC purchased 50 more this year, and will purchase an additional 75 by 2018. That will bring the total number of Autogas vehicles in DART’s paratransit fleet to 130 – almost half the fleet. Each of these vehicles is built on the Ford E-450 chassis with 6.8L V10 engine, and equipped with a ROUSH CleanTech Autogas system.

“I am pleased that DART is scaling up its use of low emissions technologies to power its bus fleet,” said Governor Jack Markell. “The use of cleaner-burning fuels is a sound investment that saves energy costs, reduces harmful emissions, and improves public health and our environment.”

“Our first five Autogas buses collectively travelled 450,000 miles with no fuel system-related failures, and saved $15,000 in fuel costs alone,” said John T. Sisson, CEO of Delaware Transit Corporation. “That, combined with the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, made it an easy decision to expand the propane program with our new private fuel stations and 130 buses by 2018.”

Each of the Autogas paratransit buses will reduce more than 91,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over its lifetime compared to gasoline models. DTC provides just over 10.6 million rides per year, including about 1 million passenger trips through its DART paratransit service. These buses will be used for shared ride, advanced reservation trips for person with disabilities who are unable to use regular fixed route public transportation.