The prevailing trend with regard to vehicles running on gas is that they are on their way out. With sustainable transport being the mantra for the future, many transport companies are beginning to consider what their future might look like, and which alternate fuel would be best for their fleet and would reduce their carbon footprint greatly. Many countries have imposed regulations and changed the fuels for different automobile sectors, and there is a more substantial pool of data than there was before as to the pros and cons of the many alternate fuels.
However, the choice made by transport companies must be made with care. When the basic technology or method changes, with trials, errors and innovation, a new technology establishes itself as a standard. Supply of that fuel or technology increases, benefits are realized, and it becomes economically viable due to the economies of scale in production. Furthermore, regulation and compliance issues will probably drive one of these many alternate fuels to become the choice for the future. Companies that make the right choice and migrate to the correct alternate fuel will have substantial first mover advantage and will be able to capitalize greatly on this opportunity.
So what are these alternatives? And what are their advantages and disadvantages relative to each other? Let’s look at the two popular alternatives here.
Biodiesel
Biodiesel is physically similar to diesel derived from petroleum, but it is manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, and restaurant grease. It is a cleaner burning alternative, and reduces emissions. It is safer than petroleum diesel, because it combusts at higher temperatures. It is safe to handle, store and transport. One of the major advantages of this fuel is that most vehicles that run on conventional petroleum diesel will require no modification. However, it is more expensive than diesel, and filling stations aren’t that widely available. Also, it reduces fuel efficiency (relative to conventional petroleum diesel). So the money saved on modifying the vehicle has to be weighed against the additional expense of the fuel itself.
Pros: Reduces emissions, safer to use/store/handle, no modification to most vehicles.
Cons: More expensive than diesel, limited availability.
Electricity
Electricity is not fuel per se, but it can be used as fuel to power electric and hybrid vehicles. These vehicles carry batteries that can be charged by directly connecting it to the power grid, and thus reducing emissions and increasing fuel efficiency greatly. Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) and Electric Vehicles (EVs) are usually lower in terms of costs and maintenance. They are also substantially safer and cleaner than the use of fuels. By virtue of ensuring that the actual energy creation is happening in a plant far away, it creates a more efficient system. However, range is a concern – there is still too much variance due to environmental conditions, and so cars can run out of energy and get you in trouble.
Pros: Cleaner, safer, cheaper costs (even accounting to added electricity cost) and lesser emissions.
Cons: Range anxiety, expensive accessories (batteries and charging kits), expensive vehicles
There are other fuels – like ethanol, hydrogen, natural gas, and propane. To learn more about these fuels and ensure that you are making the right choice about which fuel to shift to for your transportation company, you should attend this session, “Which Alternative Fuel is Right for Your Fleet?” with expert speakers Albert Venezio and Dmitry Shamis. This is a must-attend transport industry webinar if you want to avoid the risks and pitfalls of choosing the wrong alternative fuel for your fleet.
