Maintenance costs can also be high. Shuttle buses are fairly complex machines that require regular maintenance to keep them running safely and efficiently.

Fuel economy is important, but it is a relatively minor expense compared to the other cost factors listed above. In today’s economy, gasoline-powered buses have a lower initial cost, less expensive maintenance, and a lower price per gallon, easily offsetting the slightly higher miles per gallon of diesel-powered shuttle buses.

There is almost no difference in the fuel economy of used shuttle buses and new ones. CNG, EV and Hybrid shuttle buses are expensive to purchase and difficult to maintain and many of the builders have gone into bankruptcy making replacement parts and repair information inaccessible to bus owners making retrofitting used CNG, EV, and Hybrid shuttle buses costly and impractical.

Conclusion

When choosing a shuttle bus, it is important to consider all of the cost factors involved, including depreciation, driver expense, insurance cost, maintenance, and fuel economy. Fuel economy is the least important financial aspect of a shuttle bus purchase, especially in today’s economy where gasoline-powered buses have a lower initial cost, less expensive maintenance, and a lower price per gallon.