COLUMBUS, Ind. — U.S. and Canadian Class 8 Natural Gas truck retail sales for the first eight months of 2019 gained 27% year-to-date, according to the recent quarterly report “AFQ: Alternative Fuels Quarterly” released by ACT Research.
Year-to-date sales at this point in 2018 were down 26%, following a 13% full-year increase in 2017.
The ACT Alternative Fuels Quarterly provides insight, analysis and trends about alternative fuel/power adoption for the U.S. heavy and medium duty commercial vehicle markets. It is designed to give quick insights to anyone with an interest in the evolution of power and alternative fuel use for heavy duty, on-highway applications, detailing such adoption considerations as fuel prices, fuel/charging infrastructure development, equipment prices/products/technological developments and regulatory changes, as well as new NG truck sales data and a forecast for new natural gas adoption.
“Bucking the early decline pattern of the past few years, cumulative sales for the first eight months of 2019 appear to be gaining ground, with sales of natural-gas powered vehicles on an overall upward trajectory,” said Steve Tam, vice president at ACT Research. “That said and based on news released in the popular press, natural gas vehicle purchases continued to be dominated by refuse fleets, as well as transit and school bus operators. Among truckers, it appears as though the majority of incremental volume came from current natural gas vehicle users replacing units or increasing their number.”
Tam said besides sales, the Alternative Fuels Quarterly analyzes the change in existing and planned alternative fuel/power infrastructure and equipment developments.
“We’re seeing an overall increase in operational station/charging stations, with the exception of natural gas which overall is contracting but seems to be expanding specifically in the number of existing and planned private heavy-duty CNG stations,” Tam said. “Regarding electric commercial vehicles, right now we’re witnessing a tug-of-war between fuel-cell and battery technology investment in the Class 8 over-the-road market, and it’s way too early for us to call a winner.”
ACT Research is a publisher of commercial vehicle truck, trailer and bus industry data, market analysis and forecasts for the North America and China markets. ACT’s analytical services are used by all major North American truck and trailer manufacturers and their suppliers, as well as banking and investment companies.
For more information, visit www.actresearch.net.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
