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Board weighs diesel, gas and electric trade‑offs as dealer offers limited new-diesel stock
Summary
District staff described maintenance and emission issues with diesel buses (DPF regen) and presented fuel-cost comparisons suggesting gas fleets could save fuel dollars year‑to‑year, while electric buses carry higher upfront prices and infrastructure needs.
Transportation and maintenance staff explained why diesel buses have generated visible white smoke and maintenance trouble: diesel particulate filters (DPFs) require sustained highway speeds to 'regen' and clear soot, a process many short local runs do not allow. "They need to be up to 55 miles an hour for 20 to 30 minutes," a shop staffer said while describing why DPFs smoke on local routes.
Staff presented a fuel-cost analysis for last year that showed if the district fleet had been all gas, the district would have saved roughly $70,586 in fuel costs compared with diesel totals reported. But district staff also cautioned that gas-powered buses can have higher initial engine pricing and that electric buses carry substantially higher purchase prices (staff cited roughly $300,000 per new electric bus) and add infrastructure and battery‑replacement considerations. The board discussed trade-offs (fuel cost, parts availability, emissions, warranties, and longevity) and asked staff to get a production-build cost for gas buses and lease/rental quotes for a short-term solution.
