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Buses and City Vehicles Use Alternative Fuels

Posted on: Thursday, 16 February 2006, 15:00 CST

By Teresa Ann Boeckel, York Daily Record, Pa.

Feb. 15--In the four months since Rabbittransit started using a combination of diesel and vegetable-based fuel in eight of its buses, the performance of the vehicles has improved, the exhaust doesn't smell as bad and the emission of black soot has been eliminated.

"I can tell you firsthand I could visibly notice the difference in how the vehicles run," executive director Richard Farr said. "You can see it coming out of the exhaust."

The bus company, along with the City of York, has partnered with United Biofuels to use the alternative fuel called biodiesel. United Biofuels will open a manufacturing plant in Manchester Township this spring.

It doesn't save any money in the short term. Rabbittransit currently pays 29 cents more to buy biodiesel than petroleum diesel, said Kristen Heisey, assistant executive director.

However, "we believe you cannot put a price on clean air and public health," Farr said.

Officials said they have not seen any problems with the biodiesel and plan to use it in more of their vehicles. Rabbittransit will gradually switch its entire diesel fleet of 53 vehicles to biodiesel, Farr said. The city will increase its use from five to 40 vehicles, said Jim Gross, director of public works.

To help pay for the cost when biodiesel is higher than petroleum diesel, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection gave York County Transportation Authority $381,600 and the city $17,035 in grants to offset the difference, Secretary Kathleen McGinty said.

When diesel costs $2 a gallon or more at the wholesale level, then the soybean alternative is a good competitor, if not cheaper, McGinty said. Tuesday it was three cents cheaper than petroleum diesel.

If tax credits are not factored in, biodiesel is more expensive, said Nick Kukrika, CFO for United Biofuels. Vehicles get similar miles per gallon with biodiesel or regular diesel.

Rabbittransit and the City of York are using a combination of 80 percent regular diesel and 20 percent biodiesel. Vehicles can run on 100 percent biodiesel, and Farr said it may be an economic benefit for the company to go that direction in the future.

John Cole, CEO of United Biofuels, said biodiesel improves the environment, public health and economy.

Biodiesel has the potential to help reduce the county's dependence on foreign oil, Cole said. Biodiesel is made from vegetable oil.

United Biofuels buys and distributes biodiesel that is made in the United States, Kukrika said.

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Copyright (c) 2006, York Daily Record, Pa.

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Source: York Daily Record

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