Penske Truck Leasing has expanded its use of renewable diesel in California through a preferred supplier agreement with Shell Oil Products U.S. The move is an effort by Penske to reduce emissions across its truck rental, heavy-duty truck leasing, and logistics fleet operations, according to a Penske press release.
"In California, renewable diesel provides a realistic pathway for fleets to reduce emissions from well to wheel as the industry continues to decarbonize," said Josh Tippin, VP of energy and fuel supply at Penske Transportation Solutions. "Collaborators like Shell are essential in supporting our fleet sustainability efforts by securing and supplying lower-carbon fuel sources such as renewable diesel and collaborating with us on other carbon reduction initiatives."
All vehicles refueling at Penske Truck Leasing's 32 locations equipped with fuel islands in California are now receiving renewable diesel at its pumps. Penske plans to expand its use of renewable diesel in other markets as supply increases, and as carbon compensation programs for replacing traditional diesel fuel with renewable diesel become more widely available.
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The press release cited the California Energy Commission and California Department of Tax and Fee Administration statistics, stating that approximately 3 billion gallons of diesel fuel is sold annually in the state, with only about a third being sold as renewable diesel.
Penske first piloted renewable diesel in Southern California for several months to ensure there were no adverse effects on vehicles or their operation. Penske found an overall net positive effect on the vehicles related to renewable diesel. Of note were reduced maintenance-related issues along with the added benefits of lower overall emissions and a cleaner fuel compared with traditional ultra-low sulfur diesel. The renewable diesel provided by Shell is fully compatible with all diesel engines and has a higher cetane level.
Earlier this year, Penske Truck Leasing and Shell Recharge Solutions North America launched a joint venture to create more light-duty electric vehicle charging at Penske locations in six states, the two companies during the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo.
