Leaders.com
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Business
  • Leadership
  • Wealth
  • Master Classes
  • Business
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Executives
    • Marketing and Sales
    • Social Media
    • Innovation
    • Women in Business
  • Leadership
    • Personal Growth
    • Company Culture
    • Public Speaking
    • Productivity
    • Hiring
    • Social Issues
    • Leaders
  • Wealth
    • Investing
    • Cryptocurrency
    • Retirement
    • Venture Capital
    • Loans and Borrowing
    • Taxes
    • Markets
    • Real Estate
  • Master Classes
  • Login
  • Subscribe
Innovation ClearFlame Trucks

An Illinois startup is converting semitrucks to low-emissions fuels (Emil Lippe for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

By Tyler Hummel Leaders Staff

Tyler Hummel

Tyler Hummel

Tyler Hummel is a news writer for Leaders Media. He was the Fall 2021 College Fix Fellow and Health Care...

Full bio


Learn about our editorial policy

Sep 28, 2022

Big Move to Lower Truck Emissions

A startup is attempting to retrofit diesel engines to make them more environmentally friendly. 

Key Details

  • ClearFlame Engine Technologies was founded in Geneva, Illinois, in 2016 by Julie Blumreiter and B.J. Johnson to retrofit diesel engines and make them more sustainable.  
  • “What we set out to do as a company was to decouple the economic value of the diesel engine from its environmental challenges, which are not associated with the engine, but are actually challenges with the fact that the engine currently requires petroleum diesel fuel,” says Johnson.
  • Since its founding, ClearFlame has modified diesel engines to enable them to run on low-carbon fuels, reports Fortune. 
  • ClearFlame claims their engines reduce emissions by 42% and even have 23%  less of a carbon footprint than electric vehicles, which require energy produced by a fossil fuel energy grid. 
  • One outside study found their retrofitted engines cost eight cents less per mile than before.

Why it’s important

Trucking represents 30% of automotive carbon emissions, which represents 21% of total carbon emissions. ClearFlame is hoping it can help forward the effort to reduce those emissions. 

“Trucking needs to be decarbonized—that much is not up for debate. About a quarter of worldwide CO2 emissions are attributable to transportation… [Trucking] has so far failed to electrify itself. Electric trucks have made inroads in short to medium distances, but they haven’t done so for longer (over 100 mile) trips that account for 70% of U.S. freight,” says Fortune. 

As we previously reported, fossil fuels are going to remain a vital part of the economy for the coming decades until the full transition to emissions-free energy is possible. In the meantime, opportunities for low-carbon alternatives are lucrative. 

The company announced on September 20 that it has signed agreements with Reviva and Vander Haags to integrate their technology into Class-8 trucks. This was on top of receiving $17 million in funding from a Bill Gates-backed energy venture company and from John Deere. 

“Our innovative technology for the decarbonization of heavy-duty engines can be effectively integrated and quickly scaled across the United States in the short term—not years from now… By leveraging an already existing eco-system and infrastructure, ClearFlame’s solution not only gets us to our climate goals faster but can do so less expensively,” says Johnson. 

Home / News / Big Move to Lower Truck Emissions
Share
FacebookTweetEmailLinkedIn

Related Stories

A 10th Consecutive Interest Rate Hike 

by Tyler Hummel Leaders Staff
Public Policy

3 hours ago

The Federal Reserve announced another 25-basis-point interest rate hike, marking the 10th consecutive hike bump in 14 months.  

Key Details

  • Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell ended the May Fed meeting by announcing that another 25-basis-point interest rate hike is being implemented, bringing rates to 5% to 5.25%. 
  • Stocks saw a brief bump after the announcement before taking a larger dive afterward, with major indexes mostly breaking even in the hours leading up to the market closing. 
  • Powell acknowledged that an additional rate hike in June might be necessary, depending on how receptive the economy is to the new rates.

Go deeper

FacebookTweetEmailLinkedIn

These Hidden Real Estate Fees Cost Buyers

by Hannah Bryan Leaders Staff
Real Estate

4 hours ago

real estate fees

Home buyers might end up paying more than expected with hidden administrative fees realtors have begun adding on. 

Key Details

  • When purchasing a home, buyers are subject to many fees that raise the overall payment, but one newer fee is frustrating buyers. 
  • These administrative or transaction fees may cost buyers up to $1,000.
  • Brokerages often charge this fee to cover any extra expenses that may arise while processing the paperwork, but with little oversight, there is plenty of room for abuse.
  • While proponents of this fee argue that adding it to agents’ commissions helps brokerages stay in business, others argue that it is an overt cash grab.  

Go deeper

FacebookTweetEmailLinkedIn

And the Jobs Just Keep Coming

by Hannah Bryan Leaders Staff
Business

5 hours ago

hiring continues

Private companies increased hiring during the month of April despite predictions for a cooling job market.

Key Details

  • Private payrolls increased by 296,000 in April, counteracting market predictions, according to a report from payroll processing firm ADP. 
  • The Dow Jones estimate for the month was 133,000. April marked the highest monthly gain since July 2022.
  • The hiring surge comes despite the Federal Reserve’s attempts to slow economic growth and weaken the labor market to cool inflation. 
  • So far this year, more than 800,000 jobs have been added to the market. The imbalance in supply and demand has resulted in solid wage gains that add to inflation pressures, CNBC reports. 

Go deeper

FacebookTweetEmailLinkedIn
Public Policy

6 hours ago

The Fight Against ESG Continues 

by Tyler Hummel Leaders Staff
apple account
Investing

6 hours ago

Apple’s $1 Billion In ‘Savings’

by Hannah Bryan Leaders Staff
Environment

7 hours ago

The Changing Views On Nuclear Power 

by Tyler Hummel Leaders Staff

Recent Articles

Personal Growth

9 hours ago

10 Intriguing Indicators of a Highly Empathetic Personality

Empaths have a variety of strengths, but they can be overwhelmed by emotions. Learn how to strike a balance.

Productivity

May 2, 2023

Beat Distraction by Mastering Time Blocking 

Get into a state of deep work by scheduling your day in blocks of time.

Personal Growth

May 1, 2023

How Adaptability Can Make or Break Your Career in the Coming Years

The business world is always changing, making adaptability a necessary skill.

  • Business
  • Leadership
  • Wealth
Join the Leaders Community

Get exclusive tools and resources you need to grow as a leader and scale a purpose-driven business.

Subscribing indicates your consent to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy

Leaders.com
  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Careers
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Member Login

© 2023 Leaders.com - All rights reserved.

Search Leaders.com

x