Transit Buses by Fuel Type

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012** 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Diesel 52068.702 46687.212 44669.248 43585.262 43926.125 42778.9765 40051.257 42467.67599999999 39139.93299999999 36091.2172 32717.939 32670.64318
Gasoline 391.494 332.53 453.824 463.673 553.4 666.7764999999999 711.39 650.13 773.449 1130.544 1382.965 1177.6191
Natural Gas 10178.844 12303.61 11864.256 12320.454 12866.55 13546.091 11951.352 11031.138 15391.2715 18218.552 20799.729 19150.6784
Hybrid 1500.727 2527.228 3176.768 4636.73 6087.4 7720.57 12733.881 11691.804 11414.858 11391.98 10557.996 13872.166
Biodiesel* [object Object] 4389.396000000001 4149.2480000000005 5100.403 5464.825 5228.931500000001 5477.703 5030.213000000001 5223.389999999999 4990.904 6662.267000000001 4274.781
Other 1109.233 266.024 518.6560000000001 132.478 276.7 245.6545 213.417 195.039 132.04 132.784 266.104 597.366
Source: American Public Transportation Association, Public Transportation Fact Book. Derived from Tables 21 and 34 in Appendix A of the 2020 Edition.
Notes:

*Biodiesel was counted in the "other" category until 2008. Current numbers do not indicate a methodology for defining what blend qualifies a bus as “biodiesel,” and discretion is advised when using these numbers beyond basic trend analyses.

**2012 vehicle power source percentages were not available from the Fact Book above. An average of 2011 and 2013 power source percentages, in combination with the number of transit buses in 2012, is used in place of the missing values.

"Natural Gas" includes compressed and liquefied forms.

"Other" up to 2007 included propane, bio/soy fuel, and biodiesel. After 2007, "Other" included battery-electric, hydrogen, and propane.

Bus totals go back to 1926 in Table 17 of Appendix A of 2011 Fact Book above.

This chart depicts the number of transit buses in use in the United States, categorized by fuel type, from 2007 to 2018. In all years shown, diesel buses represent the largest portion of total buses, with natural gas buses a distant second. Hybrid buses are the fastest growing category as they have increased more than eight times from 2007 to 2018. The increase in both natural gas and hybrid buses is largely a result of favorable economics and clean air benefits in the transit bus application.

To view more details, notes, and acronyms, please download the Excel spreadsheet.