The energy transition is at the heart of today's concerns. Choosing the right energy for your vehicle fleet is becoming a major challenge for companies. This article compares the alternative energies available: electric, NGV, bioNGV, B100, HVO/XTL and hydrogen, to help you choose the best option for your fleet.
Alternative energy comparison guide
Choosing an alternative energy source for your vehicle fleet is a strategic decision that impacts both the environment and your company's bottom line. Your choice will depend on your specific needs and your budget. Electric vehicles offer a significant reduction in emissions in both production and use, while options such as hydrogen vehicles, CNG, bio-NGV and renewable fuels are interesting intermediate alternatives for reducing your production footprint alone. Petit Forestier takes a closer look at these options to help you convert your vehicle fleet.
Electric
Electric vehicles are characterised by their quiet operation and low environmental impact, emitting no CO2 when in use. However, these vehicles often face challenges such as long recharging times and reduced range compared with traditional fuels. This can limit their viability for some fleets, particularly those that need to cover long distances without frequent stops.
GNV and bioGNV
CNG and bioNGV offer an attractive alternative, reducing NOx and fine particle emissions compared with diesel. CNG technology has been used and mastered for many years. Today we also talk about BioGNV, which is a fuel based on biomethane produced from agricultural or urban waste. It has the great advantage of drastically reducing its carbon impact. However, the network of refuelling stations is still underdeveloped, which can pose problems for supply. The high initial cost of CNG vehicles can also be an obstacle.
B100 and HVO/XTL
B100 and HVO/XTL fuels are direct alternatives to diesel, with the advantage of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions overall. Although they can be used in existing diesel engines, B100 may need to be adjusted to suit the climate. This is because its viscosity varies with temperature. HVO/XTL, on the other hand, is more stable but can be more expensive.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen stands out for its ability to offer a range and refuelling times comparable to those of fossil fuels, while producing only water as an emission. However, hydrogen production requires a lot of energy and is still expensive, both for the refuelling infrastructure and for the vehicles themselves.
Alternative energies, comparison criteria to be taken into account
To make the right choice, you need to assess your priorities, whether these relate to reducing your carbon footprint, minimising costs or use in your business.
To help you take stock of alternative energies and choose the energy best suited to your fleet, you can consider the following points:
- The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), which includes purchase, fuel, maintenance and taxes.
- Refuelling and recharging infrastructure: availability of recharging or refuelling stations.
- Range: maximum distance that can be covered without refuelling.
- Environmental impact: CO2 emissions and other pollutants.
- Compatibility with existing vehicles: need to replace or modify existing vehicles?
Choosing to switch your fleet to alternative energies requires a great deal of thought. What are your day-to-day challenges? How will these energies evolve? It's crucial to keep an eye on things and stay informed so you can make the most informed choices. Petit Forestier can help you with all these issues.