Co-evolution in the Process of Establishing Liquefied Methane as Truck Fuel

Abstract

Sustainable transportation is one of the topics to be discussed in order to reduce the CO² production and to create a better natural environment. While a range of alternative fuels and engines for private cars are already available for customers, competitive alternatives to fossil diesel as truck fuel are yet to be established on the market. In this study the new methane diesel technology developed by the Volvo group is used as an example to describe the process of establishing liquefied methane as an alternative to fossil diesel. The focus though is set on the co-evolutionary development of the different actors that were part of the process. Without a simultaneous development of truck manufacturer, gas suppliers, transport buyers and public institutions the technology could not have been launched. To make this clear, a comparison of the Swedish market conditions for liquefied methane and the situation in Germany, where no co-evolutional process took place, is presented. The use of a theory which has its roots in biological sciences allows understanding essential relationships in the organizational context and helps to recognize the necessity of simultaneous development of different actors. This study though shows that the current conditions are not yet optimal to run trucks on liquefied methane due to insufficient infrastructure and the lack of political will and actions plans outside Sweden.