CowFartBus Robert Friedman, managing


director for CowFartBus powered by Demi Diesel Displacer and Neufuel, explained the company’s offering that allows diesel school buses to run on two tanks, one for renew- able natural gas (RNG) and one for diesel. He explained that 26 buses can be converted to a CowFartBus for the price of one new electric school bus,


resulting in optimal sustainability. Luke Patrick with the South Carolina Depart-


ment of Education commented that a big draw for his state has been that RNG complements diesel. It doesn’t replace it. Some community members desire greater environmental sustainability while others want cost savings, and CowFartBus hits both those points, said Joe Reen, executive director of operations for Eagle County School District in Colorado. It was a good alternative for his district, Reen added, since electric doesn’t work for their region’s rapidly changing altitude and weather conditions. “Our longest running bus has 800,000 miles on it,” CowFart- Bus Director Sam Johnson added.


IC Bus Regional Sales Manager Marc Truby reviewed up- dated aspects of advanced remote diagnostics system OnCommand Connec- tion that helps districts find green bus funding, and a partnership with Sourcewell for streamlin-


ing the RFP and bid process. “We do a lot beyond buses,” declared Grego-


ry Baze, IC’s national account manager for parts. He discussed the Repairlink solution, which is designed to provide school bus repair shops with 24/7 online parts ordering, giving them an easy way to connect with dealers and suppliers for fast, accurate parts sourcing and communications. The offering helps school bus technicians


more efficiently search for and reorder the parts they need from a larger inventory selection, he explained. A VIN-based catalog, saved shopping carts, price comparisons and coupon discounts are additional benefits. “You are essentially your own dealer looking up your parts,” Baze said.


There’s not a single silver bullet. -Robert Friedman, Managing Director, CowFartBus


Thomas Built Buses While Jim Crowcroft, general


sales manager for Thomas Built Buses, stated that diesel is still very much a part of the school bus landscape, his fellow panelists reiterated OEM com- mitments to both ICE and electric options to serve cus- tomer needs amid upheavals in federal and state funding.


Luke Patrick with the South Carolina


Department of Education shared the rationale behind energy choices and spoke to the importance of proactive training when rolling out school buses with a different fuel or energy source than technicians are used to. “It’s our job to learn what your goals are and support you though it, whether you’re looking at diesel or other


alternative fuels,” said Kelly Rivera, general manager for school bus dealer Carolina Thomas. Daoud Chaaya, vice president of sales, aftermar-


ket and marketing for Thomas Built Buses, confirmed that dealers and school districts are included in OEM manufacturing decisions. Francisco Lagunas, general manager of North America Bus for Cummins, noted the coming availability of a new octane engine in January and the B7.2 diesel that meets EPA GHG Phase 3 emis- sions regulations available in January 2027. “We need to diversify,” he said of OEMs. Added Chaaya, “We want to thrive, not just survive in this ecosystem.” The panelists expressed optimism for the future as


student transporters form a resilient group. “It’s a really exciting time to be in student transporta-


tion as there are lots of products out there to meet your challenges,” Rivera concluded. ●


Visit stnonline.com/go/mg to read the full STN EXPO East Green Bus Summit roundup. www.stnonline.com 33


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