Expanding Access to Sustainable Fuels

With the transportation sector now contributing more greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than any other economic sector, the need for more sustainable transportation is unavoidable. To successfully decarbonize, fleets need urgent help to adopt low-carbon, sustainable fuels as they work to lower emissions and transition away from conventional fossil fuels.

When it comes to adoption of sustainable fuels over fossil fuels like traditionally refined diesel and gasoline, access is a major inhibitor. As an example, out of 145,000 fuel stations in the United States, the AFDC says that only 833 carry biodiesel — fewer than 1 percent. The majority of fuel stations still fail to offer any renewable fuel products.

This lack of fuel availability is especially pertinent for fleets. With the rise of e-commerce, the world is experiencing a growing demand for last mile delivery (i.e. the final delivery from a hub to your house) that, according to the World Economic Forum, is poised to significantly increase carbon emissions. The phenomenon has created more pressure on last-mile delivery providers and the corporations operating them to reduce the industry’s environmental impacts.

Walmart, for example, whose fleet made up about 24% of the company’s scope 1 emissions in 2020, has vowed to deploy a mixed-energy solution to their fleet. They will integrate a mixture of sustainable fuels and electric vehicles into their fleet to determine the best energy mix for their needs.

Despite growth in the market — and a federal push for alternative fuels — making renewable fuels accessible to fleets has, historically, been a hurdle. Mobile energy delivery offers a solution as the best and quickest method of making alternative energy more available and affordable. It sets up a platform for any type of energy to be efficiently delivered to more end users with minimal up-front investment when compared to fueling stations.

As the mobile fueling industry grows, it will increase access to alternative fuels, reduce hesitation to purchase greener vehicles, and (in time) lead to widespread adoption of more environmentally-friendly energies that will decrease pollution for consumers and enable sustainable last-mile delivery networks.