NEW YORK- New York State's Office of General Services has awarded a three-year contract to Empire Coachworks to supply alternative fuel vehicles to all municipal and government agencies in the state of New York, according to Empire.

Empire Coachworks is now authorized to distribute natural gas vehicles to New York state institutions, ranging from universities and hospitals to police departments and local and state government agencies. The contract includes alternative fuel passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, passenger cargo vans, and pickup trucks for 2010-model year and later.

Empire Coachworks converts both existing and new gas or diesel fueling systems, replacing them with EPA and CARB certified CNG systems provided by Clean Vehicle Solutions and other partner companies. According to the company, CNG vehicles allow fleet operators to lower operating expenses by reducing fuel and maintenance costs.

Working closely with its partners, Empire Coachworks produces, distributes, and services CNG vehicles for corporations, school districts, and municipalities and a variety of other fleets. The company operates an 88,000-square-foot facility in East Brunswick, N.J.