For decades, propane autogas has been helping fleet owners cut their emissions without compromising reliability and profitability. Innovations like propane-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment and renewable propane are helping EV and propane autogas fleets alike meet increasingly stringent emissions standards while keeping costs low and reliability high.
PROPANE-POWERED EV CHARGING
As EVs become more common in fleets, the demand for dependable and sustainable charging solutions is rising. The electric grid, however, is struggling to keep up with the rapid expansion of EVs, and some fleet owners are faced with waiting times of up to three years for installation of re-charging infrastructure.
In response, fleets are installing propane-powered EV charging systems. The technology uses a small-scale, self-sufficient power system, known as a nanogrid, which is powered by renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and propane-powered generators. These units are portable and can be installed in as little as 24 hours in areas where they are needed most, eliminating the waiting times many fleet owners are currently experiencing.
Compared to traditional EV charging infrastructure, propane-powered EV charging solutions are typically less expensive because they don’t require the same site preparation, housing, or other costly charges. In some cases, these solutions cut costs by as much as 75 percent or more.
The units also operate independently from the electric grid, meaning fleets can continue to operate EVs, even during times of disruption due to natural disasters or grid instability. With solar and wind power working in tandem with a propane-powered generator, EVs can recharge regardless of the unexpected.
While other options like diesel-powered generation are also available, propane-powered nanogrids maintain fleets’ resiliency and reliability while keeping them on track with their sustainability goals. Propane is a low-carbon energy source that reduces harmful emissions, accelerates decarbonization, and is non-toxic to groundwater and soil. In light-commercial microgrid applications (<100kW generation system), propane provides near-zero nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide emissions, along with a 24 percent decrease in carbon dioxide emissions compared to diesel.
Since propane is abundant, resilient, affordable, and sustainable, it is uniquely poised to become an essential fuel of the future for off-grid EV charging.
RENEWABLE PROPANE
For fleets using propane for EV charging and/or operating propane autogas vehicles, renewable propane is now available as an even more sustainable energy source. It offers the same benefits as conventional propane, reliability, portability, and power, but with the added benefit of reduced emissions when compared with other energy sources. It can be used in existing propane-powered vehicles and refueling infrastructure without equipment modifications.
Renewable propane is molecularly identical to conventional propane, and is made from a variety of feedstocks, including camelina seed oil, vegetable oil, animal fats, and used cooking oil. At the point of combustion, renewable propane’s carbon intensity, the carbon emitted for every unit of energy it produces, is four times lower than conventional propane, five times lower than diesel, and six times lower on average than the U.S. electric grid (which still relies on a large amount of coal).
Renewable propane derived from camelina has one of the lowest carbon scores, with studies showing it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 60 percent. Since camelina is not a food crop, its production as a renewable feedstock is highly scalable, able to ramp up quickly as adoption continues. Recent studies also show renewable propane can be made by breaking down plastics, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and by converting captured carbon dioxide into renewable propane.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. renewable propane production is more than 4.5 million gallons per year. Renewable propane can be used alone as a vehicle fuel or as part of an innovative blend, providing even more fleets with the opportunity to reap the energy source’s low-carbon benefits.
Within the next few years, 100 million gallons of renewable propane are expected to be available with a total potential of 300 million gallons in the next decade. In fact, by 2050, renewable propane could meet half the world’s demand for non-chemical propane, according to the World LP Gas Association. The push for cleaner liquid fuels such as sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel fuel will lead to a sharp increase in renewable propane production.
As the transportation industry continues to evolve, fleet owners must seek solutions that balance sustainability, reliability, and cost effectiveness. Propane-powered EV charging and renewable propane are proving to be key players in this evolution, offering immediate and scalable pathways to reducing emissions while maintaining operational efficiency.
about the author
Bridget Kidd is chief operating officer for the Propane Education and Research Council. She can be reached at bridget.kidd@propane.com. To learn more, visit www.propane.com/fleet-vehicles.
