A new paratransit bus fueled by propane is being launched during the Community Transportation Association Expo this week being held in Minneapolis, Minn. The bus is a result of the partnership between ROUSH CleanTech and National Bus Sales, who will sell the buses. Also involved in the project is Elkhart Coach, a division of Forest River, Inc., who will be using the first buses in Texas as part of the Capital Area Rural Transit (TX-CARTS) fleet that transports ambulatory and wheelchair passengers. ROUSH expects an order for eight buses within the next three months.

“National Bus Sales has been searching for a high-quality propane autogas solution, and we are thrilled to be partnering with ROUSH CleanTech to bring dedicated liquid propane autogas technology to America’s public and private bus fleets,” said John Walsh, president of National Bus Sales and Leasing, Inc. “In this time of high gas prices and the need for sustainability, this unequivocal product is guaranteed to lower harmful carbon emissions and operating costs.”

TX-CARTS currently has buses in its fleet that use traditional fuels. The new bus that they will be adding will feature the frame of a Ford E-450 cutaway with the shuttle bus body added by Elkhart. The buses will seat 20 passengers and two wheelchairs and be equipped with the ROUSH CleanTech liquid propane autogas fuel system.

“This new venture has the potential to revolutionize the way governments, municipalities, and the public view the paratransit industry,” said Joe Thompson, president of ROUSH CleanTech. “No longer does the traditional image of dirty exhaust and compromised air quality from buses have to be the norm.”