Going Green

Business Summary

ACI Distribution is a division of Alegre Communications, a women-owned and minority certified distributor of natural gas fueled fleet vehicles and sustainable transportation and energy solutions company.  The reason for our involvement in introducing compressed natural gas as the best alternative clean transportation fuel for U.S. fleets is that we want to push our commitment to sustainability well beyond the confines of business as usual. 

Our partnership with one of the United States’ leading suppliers of compressed natural gas vehicles and solutions is providing ACI Distribution with access to the engineering talent, technological expertise, production experience, and facilities, including the largest (88,000 square feet), state-of-the-art facility in the United States. Also our partner Clean Vehicle Solutions is an authorized upfitter for the BAF CalComp System™ and preferred BayTech up-fitter. In addition we are an designated up-fitter for EIS for the International engine conversions.

Focused on delivering clean vehicle solutions to the government, corporate and private fleet  asset manager, ACI Distribution not only provides the most cost effective vehicles in the market to drive down initial acquisition costs, we are positioned to provide the most advantageous vehicle financing over the life of the vehicle, deliver infrastructure by constructing and/or financing of fueling locations, negotiating long-term price ceilings/limits with the nation’s leading natural gas suppliers; training (both drivers and maintenance personnel); emissions impact tracking, reporting and vehicle data certification; and, leveraging the leadership of an experienced and talented management team to drive sustained high capacity clean technology production and delivery for many years to come.
 
With an annual production capacity of more than 5,000 vehicles, our partnership is not only certified and endorsed by CSA, EPA, and CARB, but carries the Ford Motor Company QVM and General Motors CMC quality Upfitter designations.  Every Ford and GM vehicle and CNG system we deliver carries $10 million in product liability protection and is supported by an established service infrastructure currently servicing more than 3,000 fleet vehicles – collectively traveling more than 1 billion miles per year
 
The uncertain cost of fuel, changing competitive landscape, and evolving regulatory climate is driving demand for more efficient, sustainable transportation solutions, and ACI Distribution also offers GE Watts, Leviton and Juice Bar Charging Station Products.  We are also a Hess Commodity Reseller that is ready, willing and able to help those managing to increasingly complex financial and technological pressures and stakeholder demands related to sustainable transportation and energy audits. 

Our services include:

• Fleet Evaluation Consultation Services
• Vehicle Up-Fitting for CNG Fueling
• Reseller EV Charging Stations
• Emission Reduction Devices
• Eco Tires
• Vehicle Financing
• Vehicle Maintenance & Service
• Fueling Infrastructure Development
• Fueling Infrastructure Financing
• End-of-Life Vehicle Disposal
• CNG System Training (drivers and maintenance personnel)
• Emissions Impact Tracking, Reporting and Certification
• Fuel Contract Negotiation and Execution
• Energy Efficiency Consulting

Governments, fleet managers and other stakeholders are under intense pressure to establish greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and meet increasingly complex reporting requirements established by both the SEC and EPA. Perhaps most importantly, virtually every business – large or small – must learn to function effectively in a global marketplace where the “new normal” requires the ability to manage to increasingly difficult financial and competitive pressures amid ever-evolving customer demands.  

The uncertain cost of fuel, changing competitive landscape, and evolving regulatory climate is driving demand for more efficient, sustainable transportation solutions, and the leadership of the U.S. Government is beginning to rise to the challenge.

Existing legislation has already established major grant funding for vehicles and fueling infrastructure. For example, ACI Distributions partnership with allow us to benefit from CVS’s recently grant opportunity emanating from the U.S. Department of Energy and in which they partnered with Clean Energy Fuels and New York State on a joint submission resulting in $12 million for CNG vehicles and additional funding for fueling infrastructure development in NYC.

Today, members of Congress continue to add support to the NAT GAS Act (New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act - NAT GAS Act; HR 1835/S 1408). Both the House and Senate bills seek to accelerate the production and use of natural gas-fueled vehicles. Currently there are more than 127 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives and the Senate bill continues to gather bi-partisan support.

The Perfect Storm

All of these factors – environmental, financial and legislative - are driving substantial demand for development of vehicles that are able to utilize natural gas as a transportation fuel. 

Recent announcements illustrate the growing interest in natural gas engines for light-, medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. In January, UPS announced it was buying 245 new compressed-natural-gas delivery trucks. In February, Ford unveiled its Transit Connect Taxi. Not surprisingly, Ford also announced that any Transit Connect -- taxi or panel van -- can now be equipped with an optional package that readies the stock 2.0-liter I-4 for compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel. In March 2010, Clean Energy Fuels Corp. has contracted with AT&T to supply compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations to support AT&T in its current commitment to deploy up to 8,000 CNG fleet vehicles nationwide. 

The promise of natural gas as a mainstream transportation fuel is achievable today, not 15 or 20 years from now. As technological advances continue in the areas of electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells, and others that are all a decade or more away from mass commercialization, CNG-fueled vehicle production stands as the best near- and mid-term solution to moving the nation away from gasoline and diesel and our inherent dependence on imported oil. 

The Challenge
Although fueling infrastructure continues to increase and the United States currently has more than 1,000 available CNG stations, the lack of CNG infrastructure remains an impediment to wide-scale consumer use of CNG. For this reason, the ACI Distribution market – and focus – is on commercial/government fleets that conduct business in a defined area where fueling is currently accessible OR where potential fleet conversions warrant the installation of new fueling facilities.

The Potential
The United States Commercial Fleet Market – which is defined as corporate and utility fleets only - consists of 410,330 fleets of 1,787,000 cars and 4,041,000 medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

In the commercial markets, the industry segments that CVS is concentrating its marketing efforts are: communications, construction, food & beverage, insurance and pharmaceuticals and utilities.

In addition to the commercial fleet operators, the Federal government fleets consist of approximately 650,000 light- and medium-duty vehicles and the mid-Atlantic and Northeast state fleets consist of approximately 125,000 vehicles.

The ACI Distribution Key Partnerships
ACI Distribution is a partner with the leader in the compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle industry, Clean Vehicle Solutions is a full service, end-to-end alternative fuel solutions provider supporting fleet operations with extensive consultative, financial, production, maintenance and training services required to support the development and effective operation of an alternatively fueled fleet, including: