Ken Silverstein | Sep 14, 2010

Who is driving the Big Apple? Well, at least 475 compressed natural gas buses, to be exact. That's the plan now that the New York's transit authority has inked a deal for $216 million with New Flyer of America to provide the buses.

New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority will go slow at first. Next spring, the first two buses will arrive. The rest will get there in early 2012. If they work as promised, the city might buy another 340 of those alternative-fueled buses.

The transit authority is the largest in this country, says New Flyer. It adds the buses there transport more than 11 million passengers every weekday, which accounts for 30 percent of all commutes in the United States.

Is this a trend? Well, about 22 percent of all new transit bus orders are for natural gas. The primary market for vehicles powered by compressed natural gas is large fleets. That's because they drive substantial distances and are therefore able to recoup their higher initial costs through reduced fuel charges. They also have access to centrally located fueling and repair stations.

At present, more than 5 million natural-gas vehicles are operating worldwide with 150,000 being run in the United States. There are more than 1,500 fueling stations to serve those in this country, although only half are for public use and the rest is used to serve private fleets. There are also more than 150 models of light, medium and heavy duty vehicles and engines.

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