Because trucks and buses use significant amounts of fuel and tend to emit high levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs), diesel and natural gas (NG) vehicles are increasingly attractive options in these commercial markets. At the same time, the rebounding construction industry is pushing growth in the overall truck market while cities and municipalities look to expand their public transit systems. According to a recent report from Pike Research, a part of Navigant’s Energy Practice, sales of natural gas trucks and buses will expand steadily over the remainder of the decade. More than 930,000 of these vehicles will be sold worldwide from 2012 to 2019, the study concludes.
“NG vehicles emit substantially lower levels of GHGs, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxide than either gasoline- or diesel-powered trucks and buses,” says senior research analyst Dave Hurst. “What’s more, compared to diesel engines, natural gas provides a financial benefit. In most cases, the higher incremental cost of an NG vehicle is typically recovered, due to lower fuel costs, within two to seven years.”
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