It’s widely understood that fuels other than diesel are now an integral part of achieving immediate gains in lowering carbon emissions and also the long-term goal of a net-zero carbon transportation system. However, we need to expand the definition of alternative fuels to include more than battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cells because these options are not readily available to everyone, nor do the performance characteristics of these vehicles meet the specific needs of many fleets that are engaged in a labyrinth of applications and vocations.
In many cases, these objectives may never be obtainable.
In addition, many current studies are showing that truck users are, in fact, unable to adapt to the electric and fuel-cell technologies without making major, costly adjustments. Some prohibitive. So, here again, they are going to look for alternative solutions that fit their current and future needs.
That’s why fuel sources such as compressed natural gas (CNG), renewable natural gas (RNG), methanol, ethanol, renewable diesel, hydrogen-based fuels, and others can very much assist the commercial vehicle industry in affecting its environmental goals. What’s even more significant when a vehicle’s full life cycle is considered is that in many circumstances, these alternatives can even achieve a total lower carbon footprint than a battery-electric vehicle.
