Heavy duty decarbonization

Batteries are making their way into more passenger cars and commercial vehicles than ever before, but the limits of electrification mean that we’ll likely need alternative fuels to decarbonize heavy transport like ships, planes, and trucks. 

So what are those fuels and what modes of transport do they suit best?

In this episode, Shayle talks to his colleague Andy Lubershane, partner and head of research at Energy Impact Partners. They talk through the limits of electrification and the alternatives for decarbonizing trucks, ships, and planes, drawing on Andy’s recent blog post, “How will we move the big, heavy things?”. They cover topics like:

• The main limitations of batteries: density and infrastructure
• Volumetric and gravimetric density, and why they matter for different types of vehicles
• How fossil fuels would beat out even a theoretical “uber-battery” multiple times denser than current batteries
• Why upgrading “always-on” grid infrastructure can be lengthy, expensive, and disruptive 
• The alternatives to electrification: biofuels, hydrogen, and e-fuels
• The advantages and limitations of each for different modes of transport

Recommended Resources:

Port of Long Beach: Our Zero Emissions Future

Enterprise Mobility: Electrifying Airport Ecosystems by 2050 Could Require Nearly Five Times the Electric Power Currently Used

Catalyst: Understanding SAF buyers

Utility rates could make or break the energy transition – so how do we do it right? On June 13th, Latitude Media and GridX are hosting a Frontier Forum to examine the imperative of good rate design, and the consequences of getting it wrong. Register here.

And make sure to listen to our new podcast, Political Climate – an insider’s view on the most pressing policy questions in energy and climate. Tune in every other Friday for the latest takes from hosts Julia Pyper, Emily Domenech, and Brandon Hurlbut. Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.