Understanding the Alternative Fuel Price Report: A Tool for Smarter Fleet Decisions

Looking for trends in fuel pricing to determine what alternative fuel works best for your needs?

Fleet managers, policymakers, and clean transportation advocates rely on timely, accurate data to make smart decisions. The Alternative Fuel Price Report, published quarterly by the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC), offers just that—a comprehensive look at nationwide fuel price trends across a range of alternative and conventional fuels.

Since 2000, the AFDC has collected and published fuel price data, allowing Clean Cities and Communities coalitions and their partners to track long-term developments in fuel pricing. Each report analyzes thousands of fuel price points submitted by retail pump stations, covering eight major fuel types:

• Gasoline

• Diesel

• Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)

• Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)

• Ethanol (E85)

• Propane

• Biodiesel blends (B20, B99/B100)

To make pricing comparisons more meaningful, the AFDC converts alternative fuel prices into gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) or diesel gallon equivalent (DGE) units. This method levels the playing field by accounting for the energy content of each fuel type.

In the a recent edition (April 2025), the report analyzed 5,617 fuel price points submitted nationwide. It found that CNG ($3.08/GGE) and B20 biodiesel ($3.12/DGE) were the most cost-effective options when adjusted for energy content.

These insights are valuable for fleets considering alternative fuel transitions, helping them make data-driven decisions on fuel sourcing, vehicle investments, and route planning.

Want to dig into the data yourself?

Read the April 2025 Alternative Fuel Price Report from the AFDC.

Source: 

Alternative Fuels Data Center