The Alternative Clean Transportation Expo drew 3,000 attendees in 2012, and this year event organizers are aiming even higher as ACT takes its show on the road to the nation’s capitol. Scheduled for June 24-27, the ACT Expo will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
Now in its third year, ACT Expo will provide the latest information on alternative fuels and clean vehicle technologies, including propane autogas, compressed natural gas (CNG), hybrid-electric, all-electric, renewable fuels and hydraulic-hybrids.
The three-day event will also provide training opportunities on alternative fuels, fleet management and procurement processes; technology and vehicle displays in the Expo Hall; and a ride-and-drive with the latest clean light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
ACT Expo co-sponsors are the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) and America’s Natural Gas Alliance, while platinum sponsors include Freightliner, Navistar and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Thomas Built Buses will have its CNG-powered Saf-T-Liner HDX School Bus on display in the Expo Hall. The OEM offers propane and hybrid-electric school buses as well.
Other exhibitors are BAF, Clean Energy, Cummins Westport, Eaton Corporation, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation, NAFA Fleet Management Association, Navistar, NGVAmerica, PERC and ROUSH CleanTech.
ROUSH has partnered with Blue Bird Corporation on its propane autogas offerings, while Collins Bus partnered with BAF, a Clean Energy company, to develop the first Type-A school bus with a CNG fuel system in 2011. Since then, more and more student transportation managers are incorporating alt-fuel buses into their fleets. For the first time, the Georgia School Bus Driver Safety Competition featured propane-fueled buses this year.
Once again, representatives from the propane, natural gas and electric vehicle (EV) industries are vying for the spotlight at the Expo. More than 125 alternative fuel and clean transportation industry leaders will discuss market trends and the future of fueling, including:
- James Burns, general manager of LNG for transport – Americas, Shell
- Jim Castelaz, CEO, Motiv Power Systems
- Jon Coleman, sustainability and technology manager, Ford
- Dave Demers, CEO, Westport
- Marty Durbin, CEO, America’s Natural Gas Alliance
- Joe Gold, director of fleet engineering, Frito-Lay
- Jim Harger, chief marketing officer, Clean Energy Fuels
- Nadine Haupt, director of alternative fuels, Navistar
- David Hill, vice president of natural gas economy operations, Encana
- Craig Jacobs, hybrid chief engineer, Eaton
- Ujjwal Kumar, general manager of turbo machinery unconventional solutions, GE Oil & Gas
- Peter Lehner, executive director, Natural Resources Defense Council
- Rick Maveus, global business manager, 3M Advanced Composites
- Ed Saxman, product manager for alternative fuels, Volvo Trucks North America • Allen Schaeffer, executive director, Diesel Technology Forum
- Angela Strand, chief marketing officer, Smith Electric Vehicles
- Peter Torrellas, chief technology officer of infrastructure and cities, Siemens
- David West, chief marketing officer, VIA Motors
- Roy Willis, CEO, Propane Education Research Council
- Brian Wynne, president, Electric Drive Transportation Association
