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Does diesel have a future in trucking?

A new Automotive World report considers the future of diesel in commercial truck propulsion

Special report: Does diesel have a future in trucking?

Diesel has long been the favoured fuel choice for freight transportation, thanks to its cost-efficiency and reliability. In general, fleet operators tend to avoid risks and have historically been reluctant to invest in new, unproven technologies.

When it comes to diesel alternatives, a common complaint from major fleet operators was that truck makers were not bringing electrified offerings to market quickly enough. Major manufacturers appear to have received the message: Daimler and Volvo, for example, have already launched their first fully electric and hybrid electric medium and heavy-duty offerings, with further products planned.

However, analysts see a lengthy future in trucking for diesel. Indeed, KPMG believes that diesel’s reliability, efficiency and power will see it retain a heavy goods vehicle engine share of 80% up to 2030, and 55% by 2040. Therefore, improvements to standard powertrain vehicles will remain important fields of work, including engine refinements, vehicle aerodynamics and thermal efficiency boundaries.

In this report:

  • Executive summary
  • The race is on to replace diesel in trucking
  • R&D advances extend diesel lifeline in trucking
  • Engine makers need diverse solutions for next-generation trucking
  • Supplier flexibility essential as trucking looks beyond diesel
  • Truck industry still unclear on the future of long-haul propulsion
  • Decarbonisation central to ongoing truck engine development
  • Hydrogen fuel cell: a serious new competitor for diesel in trucking?
  • Does battery electric offer enough to draw trucking companies away from diesel?
  • Diesel’s persistence has not dulled fleet ambitions for electrification
  • Despite Trump, US diesel trucking sector continues to clean up

 ‘Special Report: Does diesel have a future in trucking?’ provides insight from a range of automotive industry stakeholders, including:

  • Association for Emissions Control by Catalyst
  • Center for Automotive Research (CAR)
  • Cummins
  • Daimler
  • Delphi
  • Deutsche Post DHL
  • Diesel Technology Forum
  • Eaton
  • Global Policy Group
  • Hyundai
  • International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)
  • Jacobs Vehicle Systems
  • KPMG
  • McKinsey
  • Paccar
  • Ricardo
  • Roland Berger
  • XPO Logistics

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