The 2012 Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo attracted more than 2,500 attendees — 60 percent more than last year — to the Long Beach Convention Center May 15-17. The annual expo showcased the latest in advanced clean vehicle technologies while also providing a forum for policy and regulation updates and for sharing best practices in this rapidly growing field.
The ACT Expo opened with a keynote address from well-known retired Four-Star General Wesley Clark, who is also co-chairman of Growth Energy, director of BNK Petroleum and a member of Clinton Global Initiative’s Energy and Climate Change Advisory Board. A parade of clean vehicles down the streets of Long Beach kicked off the “Ride and Drive” demonstration where hundreds of people gathered to test-drive vehicles from the future, including electric cars and trucks.
An array of alt-fuel vehicles were on display in the sold-out Expo Hall, including Thomas Built’s CNG-powered Saf-T-Liner HDX. The transit-style school bus features a Cummins-Westport engine and an Allison Transmission. These companies were among the 100-plus exhibitors driving the future of clean vehicles powered by natural gas, propane, electric, hydrogen and renewable fuel technologies. Knapheide and Clean Fuels USA, which partnered with Thomas on its new propane school bus due out next year, also exhibited.
The Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) and NGVAmerica kept busy sharing information on the latest and greatest in propane and natural gas technologies — the two fastest-growing alternative fuels in North America.
“The more diesels we can replace with propane autogas, the better the industry will be,” Mike Taylor, director of autogas business development for PERC, told School Transportation News. Prior to joining PERC, Taylor was director of fleet management at Heritage Propane and previously held numerous management positions during his 20 years at Blue Bird.
Meanwhile, Joe Thompson of ROUSH Clean Tech, which is working with Blue Bird on its next-generation Propane Vision school bus, noted that new orders have already exceeded their expectations. He attributed their success to “hitting the right price targets,” including $2 per gallon for propane autogas as compared to the current $4 per gallon price of gasoline and diesel.
Looking ahead, Thompson said ROUSH might consider working with other alternative fuels like compressed natural gas. “We like their stories here,” he added. “They need an integrator — a bridge between the fuel supplier and vehicle manufacturer.”
Next year, the ACT Expo will move to Washington, D.C., to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Clean Cities program. It will take place June 24–27, 2013. Sign up for updates at www.actexpo.com.
