Alternative fuel vehicle sales expected to grow through 2026
A new report from Navigant Research that examines the market for technologies to improve efficiencies and reduce emissions from vehicles estimates that alternative powertrain sales for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles are expected to grow from 347,000 vehicles in 2016 to more than 820,000 vehicles in 2026.
“Cleaner and more efficient vehicles will become increasingly important as legislators set tougher standards for emissions,” says David Alexander, senior research analyst at Navigant Research. “Electric drive is the right solution for some vehicle types and uses, but fleet managers can also choose from a variety of driver aids to optimize the efficiency and safety of all their vehicles.”
The report, “Medium and Heavy Duty Vehicle Technologies,” breaks the global commercial medium- and heavy-duty vehicle market into four major categories: medium-duty buses, heavy-duty buses, medium-duty trucks and heavy-duty trucks. Each of these vehicle categories is assessed for the suitability of efficiency technologies such as lightweighting, low-rolling resistance tires, aerodynamic aids and alternative powertrain types, including propane autogas, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric, natural gas and hydrogen fuel cell.
According to Navigant Research, medium- and heavy-duty trucks use more than one-quarter of all the fuel burned annually in the United States. As economies grow, the truck population is expected to increase, and commercial and government fleet operators around the world are expected to consider investments in fuel-efficiency technologies and alternative clean-burning fuels, according to the report. In addition, Navigant Research says natural gas, hybrid and electric powertrains are expected to see significant growth over the next decade among medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
A summary of the report is available online.
Navigant Research, the research arm of Navigant, provides market research and benchmarking services for rapidly changing and highly regulated industries. In the energy sector, Navigant Research focuses on in-depth analysis and reporting about global clean technology markets.