State of Sustainable Fleets 2023

In the fourth annual State of Sustainable Fleets Market Brief, commercial fleets continue to report a resounding trend — their use of clean fuels and advanced vehicle technologies is rapidly accelerating.

This year’s Market Brief illustrates much more about the future, one where new diesel engine development programs are moving towards sunsetting, and zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) will be the “law of the land” in states representing around half of the U.S. economy. The past 18 months have laid the roadmap for a zero-emission (ZE) future in many states and produced early signals that the era of the diesel engine, the workhorse of HD vehicles, will sunset sooner than many predicted.

Read the full report for insights into the diesel/gasoline, propane, natural gas, battery-electric and fuel-cell electric markets.

2023 Key Findings & Predictions

Public policy and funding shifts sharply to build the ZEV market and accelerate the sunset of diesel

Value of efficiency and renewable fuel for diesel vehicles remains strong, renewable diesel supply growth continues

CNG and propane retain cost advantages while new vehicles entering the market expand options for fleets

Interest in battery-electric vehicles is high and broad, though supply, cost, and infrastructure barriers persist

Public and private hydrogen investment emphasizes fueling, while commercial heavy-duty vehicle offerings expand this year

PREDICTION: Most heavy-duty OEMs will announce plans to sunset diesel development

PREDICTION: Adoption of state-level ZEV mandates will continue to expand

2023 Market Brief

Our yearly summary of major developments and fleet insights in sustainable commercial transportation and alternative fuels.

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Fleet Mini Guides

Short guide for fleets on starting out with electric, natural gas, hydrogen and propane vehicles and renewable fuels

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Trend Briefs

Succinct updates on key trends influencing sustainable fleet adoption such as policy, funding, autonomous vehicles.

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2023 Key Findings

Summary of the most important developments in renewable fuels and battery electric, natural gas, hydrogen, and propane vehicles.

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Fleet Education Webinars

Hear from fleet leaders and their partners on their outlook for and experience with sustainable technologies.

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ACT Expo 2022

Media

Recent media coverage of the State of Sustainable Fleets project.

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Webinars

Access all of the content from The State of Sustainable Fleets webinar series.

2023 Launch of State of Sustainable Fleets: ACT Expo Mainstage Session

Learn from the latest research and trends that shaped the 2023 State of Sustainable Fleets report with deep sector-specific insights into the adoption of natural gas, propane, battery electric, and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, against a baseline of diesel and gasoline vehicles.

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Small and Medium Fleets: Transitioning to Clean Vehicles & Fuels

Learn how small and medium fleets innovate with sustainable technologies, overcome challenges, and capture the benefits of advanced clean vehicles and renewable fuels.

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Webinar

Transitioning to a Truly Sustainable Fleet

Hear from experts in sustainable fleet technology on how to plan for and integrate your first, second, and tenth new type of clean vehicle technology to improve performance and reduce emissions.

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The State of Sustainable Fleets report gathers real-world data directly from early-adopter fleets across the U.S. to provide deep sector-specific insights into the adoption of natural gas, propane, battery electric, and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, against a baseline of diesel and gasoline vehicles. The analysis includes public, private, and for-hire fleets, including school, municipal/shuttle, urban delivery, refuse, utility, transit, short-haul, and long-haul sectors. This first-of-its-kind report includes unique insights into vehicle sale trends, anticipated vehicle development timelines, real-world infrastructure and fuel costs, and the growing adoption of renewable fuels.

The on-road transportation industry is at a pivotal moment.

Key factors and major market forces are aligning to make this a critical time for the future of the industry.

Emissions on the Rise

With global greenhouse gas emissions and smog-forming pollutants continuing to rise, the industry is under growing pressure to rapidly adopt and deploy clean vehicle technologies.

Competing Technologies Emerging

Multiple promising vehicle technologies are emerging simultaneously, with more industry investment fueling innovation than ever before.

Mounting Sustainability Pressures

Globally, private companies and public regulators are stepping up to set ambitious sustainability goals and putting aggressive strategies in place to meet them.

Pace of Technology Quickening

After decades of research and development, the industry is moving from pilot projects to deployments of new technologies in real-world applications across sectors.

Determining a Path Forward

On-road fleets are weighing their options to determine which zero and near-zero emission vehicles can meet their operational needs—today and well into the future.