A new report from the Engine Technology Forum concluded that trucking shouldn't ignore diesel engine emissions advancements and capabilities as the industry focuses on decreasing climate change and emissions.
The May 2024 study, Powering On: Internal Combustion Engines & the Clean Energy Future, focuses on the transportation industry's near-term needs and current ZEV solutions' capabilities. The study emphasized the need for multiple types of powertrains, particularly ICEs, alongside EVs, hydrogen, and biofuels in the coming decades.
“I think in this whole area, we have to be careful about what we understand or think we know about switching to alternative fuels or zero-emission technology, because there's more than one way to get carbon reduction, and I think ultimately we should value all those ways,” Allen Schaeffer, ETF executive director, said.
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The report examines the current state of diesel fuel in the U.S. to emphasize the role of ICEs in the industry and how difficult it would be to replace it.
“We have a ways to go,” Schaeffer said. “Last year, there were about 3.5 billion or so gallons of biodiesel and renewable diesel consumed in the U.S. and about 44 billion gallons of petroleum diesel.”
Read the full story by Fleet Maintenance editor Alex Keenan at Fleet Maintenance, a FleetOwner affiliate.
