So Persson’s comments pertaining to DME come at an interesting time: “We continue to believe DME shows tremendous promise,” he says. “I think DME could really be a game-changer.”
Persson appears to be signalling a continued—one might argue a renewed—commitment to a strategy that has been almost uniquely Volvo’s over the past few years. No other OEM has been as vociferous as Volvo in terms of both the advocacy and the advancement of DME as an alternative to diesel.
The issue of alternative fuels and the trucking industry has always been a simple one: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Diesel has served rather well as the global choice for truck fuel for a century or so now. Arguably, it has never done such an efficient job of powering the global truck fleet.
At this point—this snap-shot in time where diesel prices are relatively low—one may wonder, “Why now? Why make alternative fuel a focus?”
From many OEs, the message has been that, while diesel prices are low, those that were interested in alternative fuels, namely natural gas, continue to be interested, given they have the infrastructure and it’s a part of their long-term plans. Even Fleet Equipment’s own John Martin reminded us that low diesel fuel prices are temporary in his February column. In the case of Volvo and DME, it’s an interesting allusion to a strategy that will warrant close attention over the coming months.
