Trucking into the Uncertain Future

byAllen Schaeffer (Diesel Technology Forum) ... Beyond the advanced internal combustion engines, renewable biodiesel fuels and renewable natural gas have been gaining in popularity with fleets as readily available and affordable means to immediately reduce carbon and other emissions. The fuels are renewable, plentiful, growing in production, and widely accepted by truckers. The renewable low-carbon fuels have been central to helping California and a few other states achieve dramatic reductions in greenhouse gases and other emissions by blending more low carbon fuels into the mainstream fuel supply, or for fleets that switch to 100% biobased diesel fuel outright.

For all the proven success of using renewable biodiesel fuels, EPA’s regulatory posture on the utility and future for these fuels is a failure. Earlier this year their initial foray setting renewable fuel policy fell far short of expectations, underestimating the potential for growth in volumes of renewable biodiesel fuels used now and more production capacity coming online. Unbelievably EPA’s proposed renewable fuels policies did deliver a boost to cellulosic biofuels that is tied also to use of electric vehicles enabling them to generate e-credits. EPA’s proposals raised serious questions from some leading voices about the Biden Administration’s fairness and preferences for electrification over all other strategies. If EPA’s approach is finalized, it diminishes the future for biobased diesel fuels while essentially further expanding electrification.

None of the current requirements address the existing fleets of millions of trucks, and the millions more miles and dozens more years that they will be in operation. If we have a climate crisis as EPA has said and we can’t wait for cleaner air for communities, how does diminishing the opportunity for greater use of renewable biobased diesel fuel help deliver carbon reductions faster?

In this time of “everything, everywhere, all at once” there are ways to deliver significant results and boost traditional manufacturing right now. The Modern, Clean, and Safe Trucks Act (Senate Bill S. 694) would eliminate the 12% federal excise tax on the purchase of new trucks, a major barrier to new truck acquisition. Coupled with expanding the use of renewable biofuels everywhere possible would go a long way toward delivering more progress on clean air faster and securing some greenhouse gas reduction now to make the future less challenging. And it would give time for ZEV technology to come further along.

One thing is for sure. We’ll need our trucks to deliver everything our economy demands tomorrow, just like today. Maybe what is powering the truck won’t matter much… unless it can’t deliver. READ MORE