In the world of business transportation, jumping into the
alternate fuel arena can sometimes be very gratifying, often be very
intimidating and never be boring. Let’s
face it, America has been held captive by its appetite for petroleum for so
long that how we source our fuel and where we source it is now an autonomic
function, much like breathing. Today we face ever-increasing pressure to change,
due to environmental and fiscal concerns. But the American motoring public has been
reluctant to take on a different fuel, fearing it would force them to alter
their operations/ lifestyle or cost them more. Currently neither fear is entirely
misplaced.
I’ve had the privilege of rubbing elbows with both vendors
and fleet operators who are evangelists for their particular “pet” alt-fuels.
This seems to be typical, not the exception, and you would expect them to have enthusiasm
for the technology they represent or use. But let’s be practical; there is no
one fuel that can displace the availability and ease of use of our current, common
automotive fuels. Alternate fuels today pose an uphill battle: We fight infrastructure to fill it (natural
gas & LPG); capacity to carry it (electric); capacity to make it (biodiesel
and ethanol); and technology to use it (hydrogen). In each case though, the
outlook is better than it was 10 years ago, and it promises to be better yet 10
years from now.
These technologies all offer advantages. Some offer savings,
most offer superior environmental performance, and all offer the possibility of
reducing our reliance on other countries for oil. But, all also offer a variety
of shortcomings. So, how does a conscientious fleet operator determine what, if
any, alternate fuel usage to deploy? What I offer here isn’t an exhaustive
analysis, just food for thought.
My choice for my last formal employer was CNG, but natural
gas was the product we sold and so this choice was natural. Sometimes the
determination is just that easy, but more often it’s not. Much has to be taken
into consideration such as: how the equipment is routed, where it’s parked when
not in use and how much of a load it
is carrying. Without knowing the operational criteria that needs to be
satisfied, there is really no point inquiring about which fuel is best. All you will get are opinions, not solutions.
So consider what you need your fuel to do. Where does it need to take you, how many
miles do you need to cover on one fill or charge, and can you fuel it once you
get to your final stop. Only after you isolate what you are really trying to do
with your equipment will you have a reasonable shot at actually selecting a
fuel that is an ally rather than an enemy.
But, the time has come, so start thinking about it.
Regulatory oversight or economics will certainly force the issue, likely sooner
rather than later.
