NG Truck Sales Down 15% Through August, Says ACT

U.S. and Canadian Class 8 natural gas truck retail sales for the first eight months of 2020 dropped 15% year-to-date over 2019, according to the Alternative Fuels Quarterly (AFQ) report recently released by ACT Research.

“Sales of natural gas-powered vehicles as reported by the six major truck OEMs, who account for approximately 60% of the heavy-duty natural gas market, were mixed in the June to August time period, with all three months enjoying sequential gains,” said Steve Tam, vice president at ACT Research. “As a result, sales continue to whittle away at the year-to-date deficit.

“Looking at the most recent month (August), sales rose 26% month-over-month, handily besting the year-ago period. Hampered by soft sales from February through June, though, the market has been playing catch-up most of the year.”

ACT’s AFQ report is intended to provide insight, analysis and trends about alternative fuel/power adoption for the U.S. heavy- and medium-duty commercial vehicle markets. The AFQ details such adoption considerations as fuel prices, fuel/charging infrastructure development, equipment prices/products/technological developments, and regulatory changes. Natural gas truck sales data and a forecast for new natural gas adoption are included.

Additionally, ACT Research recently announced plans for a new multi-client study focusing on electrification of the commercial vehicle industry to be released in 2021. The scope of the study will include unit sales for the US and Canada, annually from 2020 to 2030, with single-year outlooks for 2035 and 2040. Class 8 truck and Classes 4-7 truck and bus segments will be considered, with additional segmentation encompassing step vans, conventional and low cab forward trucks, RV, school bus, yard spotter, transit bus categories, as well as the Class 8 straight, day cab, and sleeper subcategories. Our research will compare purchase and operational costs for diesel, battery, fuel cell, and hybrid powertrains in a rigorous comparative total cost of ownership (TCO) framework.

It will also take into account concerns, such as infrastructure requirements and costs, regulation, and issues including maintenance, range, durability and vehicle and component replacement. For more information, contact Ian McGriff at imcgriff@actresearch.net or click here.

ACT Research is a global publisher of commercial vehicle truck, trailer, and bus industry data, market analysis and forecasts for the North America and China markets.