Natural gas truck sales down YTD: ACT Research

by Truck News

COLUMBUS, Ind. –According to a recent report from ACT Research, natural gas powered Class 8 truck and bus sales are continuing, but at a slower pace compared to 2014.

The “Natural Gas Quarterly” claims this decline is because of the drop in the price of diesel, making the return on investment for adoption of natural gas less lucrative.

“With the fuel price differential narrowing, the ROI to convert from diesel to natural gas is moving in the wrong direction: payback periods are lengthening,” said Ken Vieth, ACT’s senior partner and general manager. “However, this doesn’t mean the adoption of NG fuel has stopped or that there are no new developments that might lead to a future uptick in NG truck orders.”

Vieth said that ACT has spoken with industry partners about this.

“We’ve learned that despite the current fuel price differential, NG infrastructure continues to be built, albeit at targeted locations, and that previous NG equipment purchasers remain committed to the alternative fuel, seeing it as a long-term prospect, not just a short-term reaction to historically high, volatile diesel prices,” he said.

ACT said “Natural Gas Quarterly” provides information on the current status of multiple factors that impact a decision to adopt natural gas. There is also a NG fuel paybay calculator the company provides for free online. Click here to use it.


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