Fleets Don't Have to Wait for EVs to Decarbonize. Biofuels Are Ready Now.

The decarbonization conversation in transportation is heavily focused on electrification. And for good reason: electric vehicles offer a path to zero tailpipe emissions that is increasingly viable across a growing range of applications.

But electrification is not the only path. And for certain fleets, particularly those operating heavy vehicles on demanding duty cycles, it may not be the best path available right now.

Colin Huwyler, CEO of Optimus Technologies, has spent his career developing a different answer: biofuels derived from refined fats and oils that enable existing diesel engines to run on a fuel with net-zero carbon emissions, without replacing the vehicles or overhauling the infrastructure.

Huwyler joined the Driving Mobility podcast to explain how this technology works, who it's designed for, and why it deserves a more prominent place in the fleet decarbonization conversation.

A Business Born in a University Parking Lot

Huwyler's path to biofuels began with a very practical problem. As a student at the University of Buffalo, he commuted an hour each way to campus and was uncomfortable with the environmental footprint of that daily drive. He started experimenting with recycled cooking oil from restaurants, converting it into fuel for his vehicle.

That experiment was the seed of what became Optimus Technologies. The core insight was simple but powerful: the raw material for a low-carbon fuel was being discarded as waste by restaurants and food processing operations. Converting that waste into a useful fuel wasn't just an environmental win. It was a genuine economic opportunity.

How It Works

Optimus Technologies' system is built around B100 biofuel, a fuel derived from fats and oils, refined to run in diesel engines. The company's technology bolts onto existing diesel vehicles, enabling them to operate on 100% biofuel without modification to the engine itself.

The approach is significant because it works with existing infrastructure. Fleets don't need to replace their vehicles. They don't need to build new fueling infrastructure from scratch. The transition to biofuel is, in operational terms, far simpler than a transition to electricity.

The environmental case is equally compelling. Biofuels derived from waste fats and oils have a carbon lifecycle that is dramatically better than petroleum diesel. When you account for the carbon that would have been emitted if that waste had simply decomposed, the net carbon footprint of biofuel approaches zero.

Who This Is For

Huwyler is specific about where this technology is most applicable: fleets that need to decarbonize now but face real constraints that make immediate electrification impractical.

Heavy-duty vehicles are a primary example. The battery technology required to electrify a heavy-duty truck on a demanding long-haul route is still maturing. Battery weight, range, and charging time present genuine operational challenges that aren't fully resolved for every use case. For fleets in this category, biofuels offer decarbonization without waiting for battery technology to catch up.

Risk-averse operators represent another strong fit. Transitioning an entire fleet to a new propulsion technology is a significant operational change. Biofuels offer a path to meaningful emissions reduction without requiring that change, which makes them an attractive option for operators who need to hit decarbonization targets but are cautious about operational disruption.

Fleets in regions where the electrical grid is still heavily carbon-intensive get a specific benefit as well. The carbon footprint of an electric vehicle depends on the carbon intensity of the power used to charge it. In markets where the grid is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels, biofuels can actually outperform EVs on lifecycle carbon in the near term.

The Role of Biofuels in a Broader Strategy

Huwyler is not arguing that biofuels are better than electrification across every application. He's arguing that decarbonization is urgent, the solutions available today are imperfect, and waiting for a perfect solution means emitting carbon that could have been avoided.

Biofuels are ready now. They work in vehicles that are already on the road. They use infrastructure that already exists. For fleets that want to move on decarbonization today rather than in five or ten years when electrification becomes fully practical for their specific use case, biofuels are a meaningful and available option.

That's a case worth taking seriously, particularly for fleet operators who are facing regulatory pressure or customer expectations around emissions but haven't found an electrification path that works for their operations.

Listen to the full episode of the Driving Mobility podcast to hear Colin Huwyler explain how biofuel technology works, the carbon math behind the solution, and which fleets are best positioned to adopt it.

Driving Mobility is ParkMyFleet's podcast covering the trends, technologies, and leaders shaping the future of mobility.