One of the questions our salesmen get asked the most is what is the best choice to make when it comes to gas vs diesel engines? Often times, when they come to us to buy a bus, organizations will have a person on their buying committee or leadership team who has some kind of experience driving or operating a diesel powered vehicle. Therefore, there are times when these organizations must decide between gas vs diesel engine vehicles. While Carpenter Bus Sales sells both gas and diesel vehicles, the vast majority of vehicles sold is gasoline engine vehicles. Here are some of the reasons why gasoline engines are becoming more popular:

#1. The Cost Upgrade for a Diesel Engine

What most customers don’t realize at first is the significant cost difference between gas and diesel engines. The average upgrade cost for a diesel engine is over $10,000. When you couple that cost with the higher rates for diesel fuel, you can see why more customers are choosing gas over diesel engines.

#2. The Cost of Hiring Diesel Mechanics

Another reason that customers are choosing gas engines is due to the cost of working on a diesel engine. Historically, it is more expensive to have work performed on diesel engines compared to gas engines. The maintenance cost of these vehicles will come into play over the life of the vehicle and should be considered before buying.

#3. The Significant Advances to Gas Engines

One of the most common myths that people hear is that diesel engines will last WAY longer than gasoline engines. At Carpenter Bus, we have found this issue to be changing rapidly right before our very eyes. It is now common for us to see gasoline engines (that are well taken care of) to be able to have 300,000 to 350,000 miles on them. This will clearly rival the longevity usually exclusive to diesel engines.

When Should I Buy A Diesel Engine Bus?

One main reason still buy a diesel engine would be if your application of the bus requires long periods of sitting idling. If you are running a bus route where you will need to wait for passengers for extended periods, then a diesel engine might work better. If you have questions about your specific application…call us to discuss.

When deciding on what kind of bus to buy, be sure you know the difference between gas vs diesel engines. This is not to say that there is no place for diesel engine buses, but that the reasons to not buy a gasoline engine are starting to diminish quickly. Call Carpenter Bus Sales today to find your next bus. Call us at (800) 370-6180!!