The United StatesIn general, most American transit systems expect their buses to have a useful life of 12 years and 250,000 miles.
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Over the long haul, newer diesel engines will last 15-20 years in a fleet, while a gasoline engine may need to be replaced once or even twice during the life of a school bus. “All of these are important for fleet managers to stop and consider when choosing a new school bus,” says Hedgecock.
Some alternatively fueled engines like propane or gasoline may need to be replaced two to three times during the normal lifecycle of a school bus. Clean-diesel engines, on the other hand, are built to last 15-20 years. The difference in engine life lies in how engines are built.
If a school bus had an 80-gallon tank and operated with a fuel economy of about 6 miles per gallon, it could travel about 480 miles. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average school bus travels 12,000 miles per year4.
Propulsion. The most common power source since the 1920s has been the diesel engine. Early buses, known as trolleybuses, were powered by electricity supplied from overhead lines.
Diesel. Among other types of fuel transport vehicles use, diesel fuel is a popular choice for those working with larger-capacity vehicles such as buses, vans, trucks, and boats.
On average, a clean-diesel school bus can travel about 510 miles on a tank of diesel vs. only 270 miles on gasoline, based on the same standard-sized fuel tanks.