Analysis: Propane Outpaces Electric for Carbon Footprint in Trucks

(Credit: Pixabay)

by | Jan 27, 2021

This article is included in these additional categories:

(Credit: Pixabay)

A new comparative analysis published recently analyzes the carbon footprint of medium-duty and heavy-duty (MD-HD) engine vehicles powered by propane and electricity. The analysis, “Decarbonization of MD-HD Vehicles with Propane,” found that propane-fueled MD-HD internal combustion engine vehicles provide a lower carbon footprint solution in 38 US states and Washington, DC, when compared to MD-HD electric vehicles (EVs) charged using the electrical grid.

Fifteen states and Washington, DC have proposed full electrification of medium- and heavy-duty trucks by 2050 with a target of 30% “zero-emission” vehicle sales by 2030. The rationale behind the proposals is based on the assumption that the electrical grid will be fully decarbonized by that time. Likewise, policy based on exhaust carbon dioxide (CO2eq) emissions alone as opposed to life-cycle analysis results misses the full picture, according to the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC). As a result, PERC says the policy proposals today conflate the promise of electrification with actual decarbonization.

The comparative analysis also reveals that MD-HD vehicles powered by renewable propane provide a lower carbon footprint solution in every US state except Vermont where electricity is generated by, and imported from, Canadian hydroelectric power plants. Renewable propane is derived from sources such as beef fats, vegetable oils, grease residue, and other biomass feedstocks.

Moreover, the analysis shows that decarbonization can be accelerated by adopting propane as the fuel of choice for MD-HD vehicles. The conclusion is supported by a life-cycle analysis of equivalent CO2eq emissions between electric and propane-fueled vehicles across the US using CARB carbon intensity values along with a powertrain efficiency analysis.

PERC’s comparative analysis presented the following decarbonization recommendations:

  • All 50 states should aggressively invest resources in incentivizing renewable fuels.
  • Federal government agencies, particularly the Department of Energy, should aggressively invest in various parallel pathways for renewable and synthetic fuel production to ensure supply.
  • The US should aggressively pursue immediately available decarbonization efforts using alternative fuels such as propane and dimethyl ether (DME) rather than wait on grid infrastructure improvements that are decades away from realization.

Additional articles you will be interested in.

Stay Informed

Get E+E Leader Articles delivered via Newsletter right to your inbox!

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Share This