School districts in some of the colder states are beginning to see a two-fold benefit to installing engine heaters on their buses. Not only do they get the buses warmed up for drivers on cold mornings, but they are decreasing idle time and, in the end, cutting emissions.

With the 2007 EPA emission requirements met, engine and school bus OEMs are working on staying ahead of the game to meet the next round of standards.

School buses make lots starts and stops. Thus, like refuse trucks, UPS and FedEx trucks and transit buses, school buses are an ideal application for hybrid technology.

In the automotive heating business, many companies plot their markets north and near south of U.S. 70, a highway stretch of highway that cuts below the Midwest and penetrates several western Rocky Mountain states.

The Association of School Business Officials International and the National Association for Pupil Transportation came together in June during an interactive webcast to discuss new EPA emissions standards and the implications for school bus fleets.