Many alternative fuels and vehicle drivetrains hold significant promise for improving the energy performance and environmental performance of contemporary transport in society. But which ones hold the most promise and what are the key barriers to near term realisation of this potential?

Much is made of the potential environmental benefits and energy productivity improvements that can be realised by the use of cleaner fuels (e.g. biofuels, gaseous fuels and Hydrogen) and alternative drive-trains (e.g. hybrid electric and fully electric).

But alternative drivetrains are not new, with the first electric vehicle having been exhibited at the Paris Motor Show in 1901 by Jacob Loehner. Yet Jacob’s development was later replaced by the development of an internal compbustion vehicle by his partner Ferdinand Porsche who went on to found one of the most iconic vehicle brands in the world.

In reality, the market adoption of cleaner fuels and vehicle drivetrains is not simply about providing a more energy efficient and cleaner vehicle alternative. It is about understanding the market barriers to adoption and working with all stakeholders (i.e. fuel producers, vehicle manufacturers, policy makers and consumers) to identify the principal barriers and advance strategies that redress these barriers.

We have deep knowledge in the assessment of the economic and environmental performance of alternative fuels/vehicle drivetrains and the use of this information to develop public policy settings and market adoption strategies that increase market penetration of these technologies in the future