6 JULY 2026 SERVICE TRUCK PULSE SERVICE TRUCK PULSE JULY 2026 7 ALTERNATIVE FUELS ALTERNATIVE FUELS A TALE OF TWO POLICY ENVIRONMENTS “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” That just may be the most famous opening line ever. It's from A Tale of Two Cities by author Charles Dickens, a novel that dealt with two sides of the same issue between France and England. Nowadays, we have the United States and Canada both pushing toward the desire for lower‑carbon transportation, but each is doing so through very different policy structures. In the United States, the policy environment has become increasingly unpredictable. Federal direction has shifted several times, and major funding streams tied to the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act have been revised, paused, or re‑evaluated. This has created a climate where fleets are hesitant to make long‑term commitments to any single technology. Despite the uncertainty, more than 600 state and local programs remain active, representing over US$13 billion in incentives for zero‑ and near‑zero‑emission vehicles. California continues to be the most aggressive jurisdiction, with Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, and several East Coast states following its lead through low‑carbon fuel standards and ZEV (zero emission vehicle) mandates. Canada’s approach is more centralized. The federal Clean Fuel Regulations and carbon‑pricing framework create a national baseline that supports low‑carbon fuels and zero‑emission vehicles. Provinces then layer their own programs on top. British Columbia and Quebec are the most assertive, with strong ZEV mandates and clean‑fuel incentives. Alberta and Saskatchewan, by contrast, lean more heavily on lower‑carbon liquid fuels and natural gas. The Canadian result is a more predictable national direction than the United States, though there is still significant regional variation in how quickly fleets adopt new technologies. Infrastructure development, however, reflects these policy differences. Natural gas stations are widely available across both countries, forming a shared network of roughly 1,600 public stations. Renewable diesel availability is strongest in U.S. low‑carbon fuel standard states but is expanding into the Midwest and parts of Canada. Hydrogen remains in its infancy, with only a handful of public stations in North America, though Canada has taken a symbolic lead by supporting the first commercially available 63.5‑tonne hydrogen fuel‑cell truck platform designed specifically for Canadian duty cycles. Charging infrastructure for battery‑electric trucks is growing in urban areas and freight corridors, but rural and vocational operations continue to face grid‑capacity challenges. WHAT OEMS ARE ACTUALLY DOING—AND WHY IT MATTERS The OEM landscape is just as fragmented as the policy environment. Each manufacturer is investing in multiple technologies simultaneously, hedging against uncertainty and preparing for a future where fleets may operate several powertrains at once. Battery‑electric trucks (i.e.. Battery electric vehicles – BEVs) have become the most visible part of the transition. Daimler Truck, Volvo, and PACCAR all offer Class 6–8 electric models, and Ford, GM, and Stellantis are expanding electric options in lighter vocational segments. These trucks perform well in urban and regional applications where routes are predictable and depot charging is feasible. They deliver quiet operation, strong torque, and lower maintenance requirements. But they also come with significant limitations. Range and payload penalties remain a challenge for heavy vocational work, and the cost of upgrading depots or securing adequate grid capacity can be prohibitive. For many fleets, battery electric vehicles are a solution for specific duty cycles, not a universal replacement for diesel. Natural gas—particularly when paired with renewable natural gas—remains the most widely adopted alternative for Class 8 trucks. Cummins’ X15N engine has accelerated interest, and major OEMs continue to offer natural‑gas‑powered tractors and vocational chassis. RNG (renewable natural gas) offers some of the lowest lifecycle carbon emissions available, and natural gas infrastructure is mature compared to other alternatives. However, RNG supply is limited, and natural gas stations are still concentrated along major freight corridors rather than evenly distributed across rural regions. Renewable diesel and biodiesel represent the least disruptive path for fleets seeking immediate emissions reductions. These fuels can be used in existing diesel engines with minimal or no modifications, and most major OEMs now approve varying blends. The messy middle of truck power Where alternative fuels really stand in North America. ANDREW JOSEPH, EDITOR We’ve all heard the doom and gloom about the diesel fuel industry: how prices are incredibly high, and how we are running out of the resource. And we’ve all heard that the EV industry is working hard to increase battery range without sacrificing load management, but is having a difficult time finding an equitable working arrangement similar to diesel. We all know that hydrogen has a good range, but a lack of infrastructure and marketing is holding up greater acceptance. And the same goes for other fuel and power sources—they are there and known in the market, but not there enough. North America’s trucking industry is deep into what many fleet managers now call the “messy middle”, a long, uneven transition where diesel remains dominant, but alternative fuels and powertrains are steadily carving out space. The shift towards an alternative fuel is not happening in a straight line, and it certainly isn’t happening at the same pace across NA. Instead, fleets are navigating a fragmented landscape of renewable diesel, renewable natural gas, compressed and liquefied natural gas, battery‑electric trucks, and emerging hydrogen platforms, all while government policy, infrastructure availability, and OEM strategies continue to evolve. For service trucks, vocational fleets, and heavy‑duty operators, the reality is simple: there is no single winner yet. Instead, the next decade will be defined by overlapping technologies, regional differences, and a growing need for technicians and fleet managers to understand multiple power systems at once in daily service operations. PHOTO: welcomia/iStock/Getty Images Plus We are aware that fleets dislike having to change when they aren’t ready to change—so diesel often remains the fuel of choice even when they should at least be considering alternatives.
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