With so many alternative fuels currently available, it’s difficult to decide which one is right for you. Below we have investigated the top three fuels compatible with our Bucher vehicles and the key considerations for each

There are many options to choose from when it comes to alternative fuels. With the majority of cities seeing electric technology as the future of their vehicles, why should you be interested in alternative fuels? There is no doubt that electric technology is more cost-effective in the long run and much better for the environment but trying to convert a whole fleet from diesel to electric overnight simply isn’t possible from a monetary standpoint. With everyone’s minds looking towards greener measures, it can seem disheartening to not be able to fully run on electricity right away, but there is an alternative! Alternative fuels may not be the endgame, but they are an incredible steppingstone to electric technology in the interim.

With so many alternative fuels currently available, it’s difficult to decide which one is right for you. Below we have investigated the top three fuels compatible with our Bucher vehicles and the key considerations for each

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO) is one of the most common forms of alternative fuel on the market. It is made by reconstituting used vegetable oil and transforming it into a hydrogen-based fuel. This is fantastic for many reasons; one being this oil that would have previously been thrown away, meaning by using HVO, you are reusing the waste produced by the food industry. Another key feature is that due to it being hydrogen-based, it gives a cleaner burn and longer shelf life compared to diesel, meaning carcinogenic particulate matter (PM), CO2, and NOx emissions all drastically reduce, improving the air quality in the places they drive.

From a monetary standpoint, HVO is also one of the best fuels to consider. Although it is slightly more costly than using diesel, you can use the same tanks and storage that diesel had previously been kept in; no expensive cleaning or special equipment is necessary to transfer from one to another. It is possible to just add HVO to current half-filled storage tanks with no concerns from cross-contamination.

On the other hand, there are some drawbacks to using HVO. There is limited availability; the supply issue in the UK means that providing HVO to every fleet in the nation isn’t an option. It can also be taken advantage of from an ethical point of view. The production of HVO must be completed sustainably to make an impact on the environment, buying cheaply from non-reputable sources can be even worse than diesel - the unethical methods some companies use to produce HVO can be significantly more detrimental to the environment and even violate worker's rights.

Similarly, some issues with inconsistencies in the quality of the oil have been raised, specifically palm oil. If the fuel isn’t up to the highest quality standard, then problems can arise in the internal mechanisms of the vehicles that are using it. These fuels can damage the metalworks of the vehicles, leading to higher maintenance costs and more frequent repairs needed.

With all that being said, HVO offers a relatively cost-effective, environmentally friendly like for like alternative to diesel if sourced from the correct place and using the right quality of HVO fuel. 

Compressed Natural Gas

Another popular alternative fuel on the market is Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). CNG is an effective alternative to petrol, diesel, and propane made from methane stored at high pressure. Similar to HVO, CNG produces far lower emissions than diesel and petrol with the added benefit of being 30-40% cheaper than white diesel. CNG has been reported to have an extended running time compared to diesel, leading to improved efficiencies and lower costs of ownership.

However, CNG is extremely difficult to store which can potentially make it both expensive and inefficient. Any current storage tanks would need to be replaced (unlike HVO) meaning the capital investment cost of using CNG will be much higher, while it also needs to be stored in a temperature-controlled environment; this not only causes additional work, but it also uses fuel to control the storage climate producing further waste and emissions. Similar to HVO, there is also a supply issue within the UK, meaning it is great for a small, local municipal fleet but impractical in regards to larger fleets.

Bio Methane

Bio Methane is arguably the most sustainable of all the options laid out in this piece. It is created by burning biomatter and household food waste. This means that Bio Methane, unlike the other alternative fuels, is completely sustainable; it uses products readily thrown away by the UK and crops that can be grown and harvested quickly.  The best part is that it is a fully clean and renewable way of producing fuel without requiring any additional resources to produce. Additionally, the by-product of the process is an organic fertiliser reused for crops.

However, it does have downsides - the largest drawback to biomethane is in the difficulty of making it; it is one of the hardest fuels to store and create. In order for the process to work, a continuous temperature of 37oC must be maintained, which isn’t attainable naturally in the UK climate, meaning additional processes and storage facilities are needed that again produce their own waste and costs.  The process is also incredibly inefficient, in order to produce enough fuel and make it safe for use in vehicles, it needs to be made in huge amounts in large power plants. These power plants are not only costly to build but also take up a lot of space. The inefficiency of the process also means that it is less cost-effective than other methods. This inefficiency has a higher risk of producing a lot of impurities, similar to HVO, which again can potentially corrode internal metalworks and increase maintenance costs.

Biomethane is a fantastic fuel that has a lot of potential, however, it is not quite there yet for large-scale fleets. It is currently more focused on household applications rather than being specifically designed for contract or municipal environments.

What does this mean for you?

All three of these fuels have their positives and negatives; quality issues can damage vehicles, increase maintenance costs, and supply problems drive up the price of quite a few options, however, all three of these fuels are significantly better for the environment than currently used diesel. With the focus on environmental protection, being at the forefront of municipal considerations, these fuel options are a fantastic way to bridge the gap between a full eco-friendly electric fleet and the currently used diesel.