8 JULY 2026 SERVICE TRUCK PULSE SERVICE TRUCK PULSE JULY 2026 9 ALTERNATIVE FUELS ALTERNATIVE FUELS Renewable diesel, in particular, has grown rapidly in states with low‑carbon fuel standards, and fleets report maintenance savings when switching from fossil diesel. The challenge is supply: renewable diesel production is expanding, but availability remains uneven, and pricing is heavily influenced by regional policy incentives. Hydrogen is the newest and most uncertain player in the mix. Nikola, Hyzon, and Canada’s Elemental Trucks are pushing fuel‑cell platforms into early commercial deployment, while legacy OEMs are developing both hydrogen internal‑combustion engines and fuel‑cell systems for the 2030s. Hydrogen offers diesel‑like range and refueling times, making it attractive for heavy‑haul and high‑duty vocational work. But the fueling network is sparse, the cost of hydrogen remains high, and fleets are wary of investing in a technology whose long‑term standards and supply chains are still taking shape. THE INFRASTRUCTURE REALITY Infrastructure is the defining constraint for every alternative fuel. Battery‑electric trucks depend on depot charging, and many fleets face long timelines for utility upgrades. Public charging for heavy trucks is still rare, and rural operations often lack the grid capacity needed for high‑power charging. Natural gas infrastructure is the most mature, but it is still concentrated along major freight corridors. Fleets operating outside those corridors may struggle to access reliable fueling. Renewable diesel availability is expanding but remains strongest in states with low‑carbon fuel standards. In other regions, fleets may encounter inconsistent blends or limited supply. Hydrogen infrastructure is the least developed. Many early adopters rely on delivered hydrogen or on‑site production, and public stations are few and far between. It's true that mobile hydrogen fueling solutions are emerging, but they are expensive and not yet widely deployed. THE COST EQUATION: CAPEX, OPEX, AND THE REALITIES IN BETWEEN When fleets evaluate alternative powertrains, the conversation inevitably comes down to cost. But cost is not a single number. It is a balance between capital expenditures (capex) and operating expenditures (opex). Capex refers to the major upfront investments required before a truck ever turns a wheel: the purchase price of the vehicle, the infrastructure needed to support it, and the shop tools, training, or facility upgrades required to maintain it. Opex, by contrast, is the ongoing cost of keeping that truck in service—the fuel or electricity it consumes, the maintenance it requires, the downtime it creates, and the day‑to‑day realities of running it in a working fleet. Different alternative‑power technologies flip the capex‑opex equation in dramatically different ways. Battery‑electric trucks, for example, carry some of the highest capex in the industry. The trucks themselves are expensive, and the charging infrastructure—especially for medium‑ and heavy‑duty applications—can cost as much as or more than the vehicles. Yet once those trucks are in service, their opex can be significantly lower. Electricity is often less expensive than diesel on a per‑mile basis, and electric drivetrains have far fewer moving parts, which reduces maintenance demands. For the right duty cycle, the long‑term operating savings can offset the initial investment. For the wrong duty cycle, the math never pencils out. Natural‑gas trucks sit in a different place on the curve. Their capex is higher than diesel but far lower than electric or hydrogen. The fueling infrastructure is more mature, and in many regions, natural gas—especially renewable natural gas—is cheaper than diesel, giving fleets a predictable opex advantage. But the economics depend heavily on where a fleet operates. For example, if we have a truck running predictable regional routes near established CNG or LNG corridors will see different cost dynamics than rural or remote operations that must build or contract its own fueling access. Renewable diesel changes the equation again. Because it is a drop‑in fuel, renewable diesel requires virtually no capex at all. Fleets can use their existing trucks, tanks, and maintenance practices. The cost question becomes almost entirely about opex: the price of the fuel itself, which varies widely depending on regional policy incentives and supply. In places with low‑carbon fuel standards, renewable diesel can be competitively priced and deliver immediate emissions reductions. In regions without those incentives, the premium over fossil diesel can be substantial. Hydrogen, meanwhile, currently represents the most expensive combination of capex and opex. Fuel‑cell trucks and hydrogen‑internal‑combustion platforms carry high purchase prices, and the fueling infrastructure—whether fixed stations, delivered hydrogen, or on‑site production—is costly and limited. Hydrogen fuel itself remains expensive, and the long‑term cost trajectory is uncertain. Early adopters tend to be large fleets with dedicated routes, strong sustainability mandates, and the ability to build or partner on fueling infrastructure. For most operators, hydrogen remains a future‑facing technology rather than a present‑day economic solution. Across all these technologies, the central truth remains the same: fleets do not buy trucks based on ideology or marketing. They buy based on total cost of ownership, and total cost is always a blend of capex and opex. The challenge—and the opportunity—is that each alternative powertrain rearranges that blend in a different way. Understanding those differences is essential for any fleet navigating the messy middle of the transition away from diesel. WHY EACH TECHNOLOGY WORKS—& WHY EACH FALLS SHORT Every alternative fuel offers meaningful advantages, but none, at this point in time, is a perfect solution. Battery‑electric trucks excel in urban and regional operations where routes are predictable and charging is centralized. They struggle in heavy vocational and long‑haul applications where range and payload matter most. Natural gas is proven, widely available, and familiar to technicians. But it still relies on combustion, and RNG supply cannot scale to replace diesel across the entire industry. Renewable diesel delivers immediate emissions reductions without any operational disruption, however its economics depend on policy, and supply remains uneven. Hydrogen promises long‑range, zero‑emission operation for heavy‑duty work, but infrastructure and cost barriers remain significant. Peeking into our crystal ball, we predict that for the vocational sector, the transition will not be a clean break from diesel. Instead, fleets will likely end up operating multiple powertrains simultaneously, choosing the right tool for each job. Moving forward, technicians will need to be fluent in diesel, natural gas, high‑voltage electric systems, and eventually hydrogen. Fleet managers will need to understand not only vehicle specifications but also utility timelines, fuel‑supply contracts, and regional policy incentives. The messy middle is here, at least for a while. But it also represents a period of opportunity. Fleets that understand the strengths and limitations of each technology—and that plan for a multi‑fuel future—will be best positioned to navigate the next decade of change. PHOTO: patruflo – stock.adobe.com Trucks getting diesel at a fueling station is a common sight along US interstates. The lack of infrastructure, however, is often cited as the chief cause for fleets not wanting to switch to an alternative fuel option. PHOTO: wlfella/iStock/Getty Images Plus
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