South Salt Lake • A Utah company is beginning production of compressed natural-gas-vehicle-conversion systems that General Motors will use on vans coming off an Indiana assembly line. Alternative Vehicle Solutions, located in a warehouse at 225 W. 2950 South celebrated its grand opening Tuesday.
The plant assembles parts that enable GM to quickly switch Express and Savana vans to natural gas when a customer orders one equipped for the clean-burning alternative fuel. The process doesn’t require drilling any new holes or otherwise altering the frame. Instead, crews just snap into place a new manifold, fuel-intake valve and computer connections to govern CNG fuel injection and gauging.
Alternative Vehicle Solutions currently employs 11 — mostly college-educated workers such as engineers — and likely will add 10 more in coming months, he said. GM’s vans are a good start because business fleets often order fleets of CNG vehicles for cheaper operation, Brandeberry said, but the company also will sell conversion kits for many existing GM vehicles beyond the van lines. Salt Lake Tribune
