Quote:
Originally Posted by ksa8907
That's true, but the shipping(ocean and rail) industry will move to LNG which will drive the price/technology/packaging to the point that it will become attractive to the trucking industry also.
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Moving giant oceangoing ships to LNG isn't going to help transfer Class 6-8 trucks to LNG. The problem isn't technical - we have technical solutions that work today. The problem is economics and logistics.
CNG and LNG trucks cost more than a diesel truck - a lot more. That isn't going to change without a huge increase in volume to bring down the cost of the tanks. They require less maintenance and the fuel is cheaper - sometimes. That variation is the price of natural gas vs diesel is a problem if you want someone to spend tens of thousands more upfront to save over the long run.
Then there is fueling. Right now long-haul CNG and LNG is mainly done by large fleets like UPS or FED EX that have installed their own fueling stations.
Where natural gas trucks make the most sense is local routes were trucks come back to the same depot every day. These are also generally city routes were the decreased emissions make the biggest difference. The problem for NG on local routes is competition from electric trucks. The have the same economics: higher purchase price in exchange for lower fuel cost and maintenance.