State of Sustainable Fleets 2021

The 2021 State of Sustainable Fleets Market and Trends Brief is a technology-neutral analysis of key insights and critical trends for today’s leading on-road clean vehicle technologies. While the previous year’s State of Sustainable Fleets report serves as a foundation, the 2021 update builds upon this introductory resource and provides concise insight into the significant trends and developments that occurred over the course of 2020 — a landmark year for the clean fleet industry.

2021 Fleet Technology Miniguides

Access highly visual, concise fleet guides for the industry’s leading clean vehicle drivetrain technologies.

Propane Vehicle Miniguide

Natural Gas Vehicle Miniguide

Battery-Electric Vehicle Miniguide

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Miniguide

2021 Key Findings

GROWTH OF CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES CONTINUES, DESPITE OUTLIER YEAR

Even in an extreme outlier year, the growth of clean technologies continued with an increase in fleet orders and deliveries for natural gas and battery-electric vehicles as well as for lower carbon renewable fuels.

Additionally, 83% of surveyed early adopter fleets indicate they plan to increase their use of clean vehicle technologies in the coming years.

CLEAN FUELS CAN OUTPERFORM IN MANY FLEET SECTORS

Fleets report superior total cost of ownership and fuel costs savings when operating on the mature technologies of compressed natural gas in the refuse, transit, and dedicated heavy-duty sectors and propane in the school, paratransit, and urban delivery sectors.

BATTERY-ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE POISED TO BECOME A LEADING CLEAN FLEET TECHNOLOGY IN 3-5 YEARS

Commitments by several large fleets will require vehicle deployments in the tens of thousands per year. While vehicle costs remain high for this developing technology and OEMs are just beginning to enter serial production, investment to build this market is already enormous and growing.

BIG INVESTMENTS LAY A FOUNDATION FOR A FUEL CELL FUTURE

Fuel producers and vehicle makers continued investing hundreds of millions globally towards billions of dollars committed to build a foundation for fuel cells, doubling the number of models coming to market, mostly for transit and Class 8 tractors.

SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENTS BUILD THE CLEAN TECHNOLOGY MARKET

Two powerful drivers—policy mandates and ambitious sustainability goals—are creating demand for all clean technologies in the fleet market and will continue to drive growth.

CLEAN FLEET TECHNOLOGIES GET EVEN CLEANER

Sustainability benefits, including the emissions reduction potential of vehicles and fuel, are improving for nearly all existing clean vehicle technologies, including efficiency, renewable fuels, and cleaner vehicles. Sustainability benefits remain a top motivator for fleets.

Download the 2021 Key Findings Fact Sheet

Download the 2021 State of Sustainable Fleets Report