GeekWire reports that Amazon plans to begin using "electrofuel" - described in the story as a diesel substitute that "is made from carbon dioxide captured from an industrial source that is then combined with hydrogen that’s produced from clean energy" - to power its delivery trucks next year.
The electrofuel is being purchased from a company called Infinium, and will be enough to fuel five million miles of truck travel a year, largely in Amazon tucks that "transport customers’ orders from vendors and its fulfillment centers to facilities used to sort and send items out for delivery."
While "three years ago, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced The Climate Pledge, a commitment by the company to reach carbon neutrality by 2040," GeekWire points out that regardless, Amazon "has seen steady growth in its carbon footprint, though its emissions intensity — the amount of carbon released relative to how much gross revenue it generated — is decreasing … While it isn’t carbon free, Amazon is happy with the carbon reduction the electrofuel provides and the fact that it can be used in the company’s existing fleet without any changes to the engines."
- KC's View:
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I'd never even heard of electrofuel before reading this story, which points two things out to me. One is that I don't know as much as I think I know, and the other is that it seems likely that there are a lot of options out there that will help companies - and people - reduce their carbon footprints. Lots of small moves can add up to big impact, which is worth keeping in mind.
