Fleet Fuel Comparison Calculator Skip to main content
Hauling Free Pro Features Available

Fleet Fuel Comparison Calculator

Compare total cost and emissions across diesel, CNG, LNG, propane, and electric for commercial fleet vehicles

Field guide: Fleet Fuel Comparison: CNG, Propane, Diesel, and Electric Options

PREVIEW All Pro features are currently free for a limited time. No license key required.

Hauling
Pop Out

Free source-aware planning screen for fleet managers, sustainability coordinators, and transportation planners who need an early comparison of diesel, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), propane autogas, and battery electric fleet assumptions. Enter fleet size, vehicle class, annual mileage, dated fuel prices, infrastructure placeholders, vehicle premiums, and an editable grid emission factor. The screen compares local sample fuel cost, maintenance cost, infrastructure amortization, vehicle premium amortization, and simplified CO2 estimates. CNG is entered as $/GGE, LNG as $/DGE, and propane as $/gal with a visible DGE warning. The output is a planning screen, not a live price feed, lifecycle model, emissions inventory, grant analysis, or procurement recommendation.

Pro Tip: Do not mix CNG DGE and GGE quotes. CNG is commonly sold and reported in GGE, while LNG fleet comparisons often use DGE. Before comparing fuels, label every supplier quote with the billing unit and date, then replace the app defaults with your fuel-card, supplier, utility tariff, demand charge, and infrastructure quote data.

Screen annual fleet fuel-use rows after emissions method checks

Fuel Combustion Emissions Calculator →

Compare EV vs gas for light-duty fleet vehicles

EV vs Gas Cost Calculator →

Track fleet preventive maintenance costs

Fleet PM Cost Calculator →

Calculate carbon intensity of your grid electricity

CO2 Carbon Intensity →

How It Works

  1. Define Your Fleet Profile

    Enter the number of vehicles, vehicle class, average annual miles per vehicle, and diesel baseline. Treat the built-in class values as sample placeholders until you replace them with telematics, fuel-card, maintenance, and OEM data.

  2. Enter Dated Fuel Prices

    Input diesel in $/gal, CNG in $/GGE, LNG in $/DGE, propane in $/gal, and electricity in $/kWh. Verify every quote date and billing unit before comparing alternatives.

  3. Set Infrastructure and Vehicle Premiums

    Enter station, charger, utility make-ready, vehicle premium, maintenance, infrastructure life, and any cost-offset assumptions from your own quotes or grant documents. The app amortizes those local inputs; it does not verify eligibility or market pricing.

  4. Review Source-Aware Results

    Review cost per mile, annual cost components, simplified CO2 screen, unit warnings, and source notes for each fuel. Use the output to decide what needs deeper route modeling, utility review, lifecycle modeling, or procurement validation.

Built For

  • Fleet managers screening CNG, propane, LNG, or electric assumptions before requesting supplier quotes
  • Logistics teams comparing local fuel, route, charging, and infrastructure inputs for regional operations
  • Municipal fleet coordinators preparing a preliminary source list for council or grant discussions
  • Sustainability teams collecting assumptions before a formal emissions inventory or lifecycle model
  • School districts comparing propane or electric bus assumptions before checking current grant rules

Assumptions

  • Vehicle class, fuel economy, maintenance, vehicle premium, and infrastructure entries are local sample defaults until replaced with fleet-specific data.
  • CNG uses a GGE billing basis, LNG uses a DGE basis, and propane uses gallons with an AFDC-style DGE conversion warning.
  • CO2 estimates are simplified direct-fuel and editable grid-factor screens, not a full lifecycle or reporting inventory.
  • Infrastructure and incentive fields are placeholders that require current vendor, utility, grant, tax, and owner review.

Limitations

  • Does not model route-specific duty cycles, payload, terrain, weather, idle time, range reserve, or charger scheduling.
  • Does not verify live fuel prices, electricity tariffs, demand charges, taxes, grants, incentives, credits, or contract terms.
  • Does not perform full lifecycle, Scope 1/2/3, LCFS, RIN, REC, carbon-credit, or regulatory emissions accounting.
  • Does not replace procurement, utility interconnection, infrastructure engineering, maintenance planning, or qualified emissions review.

References

  1. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) - Fuel Properties Comparison Table
  2. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) - Gasoline and Diesel Gallon Equivalency Methodology
  3. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) - Alternative Fuel Price Report
  4. EPA GHG Emission Factors Hub
  5. EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.3
  6. DOE AFDC Vehicle Cost Calculator Methodology

Frequently Asked Questions

Diesel gallon equivalent (DGE) compares fuel energy to one gallon of diesel. Gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) compares fuel energy to one gallon of gasoline. DOE AFDC publishes the lower-heating-value methodology, and CNG is commonly sold and reported in GGE. This app keeps CNG in $/GGE, keeps LNG in $/DGE, and enters propane in gallons using a local 0.66 DGE per gallon assumption. Always match the unit on your supplier quote before comparing cost.
The app uses editable local maintenance ratios only. Actual maintenance cost depends on duty cycle, OEM platform, warranty, technician training, battery or aftertreatment condition, tank inspections, parts availability, downtime, and shop tooling. Replace the defaults with fleet records or manufacturer data before making procurement decisions.
No. The app uses simplified fuel CO2 factors and an editable grid kg CO2/kWh factor for a planning screen. Formal reporting, credits, LCFS or RIN accounting, Scope 1/2/3 treatment, renewable fuel claims, and lifecycle comparisons require the selected protocol, current source factors, contract documentation, and qualified review.
There is no universal fleet-size threshold. CNG infrastructure economics depend on station type, compressor capacity, gas utility work, operating hours, annual miles, contract price in $/GGE, maintenance, downtime, and financing. Use current vendor and utility quotes, then compare the amortized infrastructure cost against your actual fuel spread and utilization.
Incentives change by date, location, fuel, vehicle class, owner type, and project details. Check current AFDC, IRS, EPA, DOT, state energy office, air district, and utility pages before entering a cost offset. The app provides an input for offsets but does not determine eligibility, compliance, or funding award status.
Disclaimer: This planning screen provides preliminary arithmetic based on editable assumptions and source pointers. Actual costs and emissions depend on local fuel contracts, utility tariffs, route data, infrastructure design, incentive rules, reporting boundary, vehicle platform, and operating conditions. Consult fleet, utility, emissions, tax, grant, and procurement specialists before decisions.

Guides for this job

Emissions

Fleet Fuel Comparison: CNG, Propane, Diesel, and Electric Options

Diesel gallon equivalent pricing, infrastructure break-even analysis, 10-year NPV modeling, emissions comparison, maintenance cost differences, and vehicle class considerations for alternative fleet fuels.

Read Guide →
Productivity

Own vs. Rent: The Real Cost of Construction Equipment

EP 1110-1-8 methodology for calculating true hourly cost of construction equipment. Depreciation, fuel, maintenance, and the break-even analysis that tells you when owning makes sense.

Read Guide →
Hauling

Understanding Your True Cost Per Mile

How owner-operators and small fleets compute the number that should drive every quote. Fixed vs variable, deadhead, and ATRI 2024 medians.

Read Guide →
Hauling

Fuel Surcharge Math for Owner-Operators

How FSC programs work, why they exist, and how to make sure the one in your contract is fair. DOE-classic, step matrix, and flat percent compared.

Read Guide →

More Hauling tools

Hauling Live

Fleet PM Cost Calculator

Calculate preventive maintenance costs for your fleet. Enter vehicle types and usage to see PM intervals, service costs, and compare in-house vs outsourced maintenance.

Launch Tool →
Hauling Live

Cost Per Mile Calculator

Owner-operator cost per mile across the full cost stack. Loaded vs deadhead CPM, break-even rate at any margin, and ATRI 2024 industry medians.

Launch Tool →
Hauling Live

Fuel Surcharge Calculator

Compute trucking fuel surcharge per mile and per load using DOE-classic, step matrix, or flat percent programs. Side-by-side comparison and effective rate chart.

Launch Tool →