"Green” goals don’t have to be exclusive to fleets in the new truck market. Electric vehicle technology has become more prominent in the trucking industry in recent years. As fleet owners who are interested in electric wait for the option to become more widely available, they have several options for making their internal combustion engines and operations greener through renewable fuels today.
Renewable Diesel
This option enables fleets to use traditional powertrain technologies and fueling infrastructure while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent compared to fossil petroleum diesel. Renewable diesel can be used in diesel-powered vehicles without any engine changes and can be distributed through existing infrastructure.
Unlike biodiesel, renewable diesel is approved to use in diesel engines by most heavy-duty engine manufacturers. It may be more expensive than traditional diesel, but it’s essentially fully compatible and interchangeable with traditional diesel.
Renewable Propane
Many owners of medium-duty vehicles have adopted propane autogas to reduce emissions. Renewable propane is chemically the same as conventional propane, so the fuel once again is interchangeable. If a truck operator uses renewable propane in a conventional propane engine, it would operate the same with a cleaner emissions profile.
Propane fueling infrastructure is simpler because it’s a low-pressure fuel. It’s a high-octane fuel and because it’s a liquid, a lot of fuel could be packed on board. Many truck stops already have propane infrastructure on site for recreational vehicles.
Renewable Natural Gas
Renewable natural gas provides an ultra-low emission, carbon-negative solution for a compressed natural gas engine. It’s essentially biogas that has been processed to purity standards. It has a negative carbon intensity score, which can enable companies to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions significantly each year.
Talk to your local MHC dealer about ways to implement greener options and optimize your fleet today!