There has been a fair amount coverage in the news about natural gas powered vehicles and electric trucks. ACT Research recently said that, “the natural gas and alternative fuel industries in the U.S. are very much alive and kicking.”
Kenny Vieth, ACT’s senior partner and general manager said that fleets need to determine if alternative fuels will work for them and then decide which option is best. Vieth said the company is expanding its natural gas and alternative fuel coverage to include information on fuel prices, infrastructure developments, research and development, total cost of ownership and more.
In other news Navigant Research announced its forecast for global electrified powertrains for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The company believes that market will grow to about 332,000 by 2026 from its 2016 level of 31,000. They base this in part on the fact that that there are stricter emissions limits and a desire for improved fuel efficiency.
This seems like a good time to remind everyone that we at NACFE are fuel agnostic. We don’t care what is powering the vehicle. But we do care deeply about making sure fleets are getting the most mpgs out of whatever power source they choose.
We are happy to hear that folks think there will be some decent growth in alternative powered vehicles. But we also believe that many of the technologies that are currently available to help diesel-powered vehicles be more fuel efficient should be adapted for use on vehicles that are powered by something other than diesel. The goal is to make all vehicles as fuel efficient as possible. That’s what we all should be striving for whether it’s diesel, LNG, CNG, or batteries that move the truck down the road.
Every year, I look forward to learning more about alternative fuels and advanced vehicles at the ACT Expo, this year being held in Long Beach, May 1st through the 4th. Join NACFE for one of our Trucking Efficiency Workshops there the afternoon of May 1st and then stay for a session on fuels hosted by the Future of Fuels initiative of BSR.
About the Author
Michael Roeth
Executive Director
Michael Roeth is the executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency. He serves on the second National Academy of Sciences Committee on Technologies and Approaches for Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicles and has held various positions with Navistar and Behr/Cummins.