GE to host EV experience tour

GE has announced it will host an electric vehicle EV tour in seven U.S. cities that will "bring GE experts together with local businesses, industry leaders, and public sector stakeholders for educational workshops, test drives, and dialogue on the business case for EV ecosystems."

GE said it is working with GM, Ford, Toyota, Navistar, Smith Electric Vehicles, Mitsubishi, Coda, Smart, THINK and other organizations on the tour.

The company said it has already committed to purchase 25,000 EVs by 2015 for its own fleet and for fleet customers. GE noted it owns one of the world's largest vehicle fleets, operates a leading global fleet management business, and offers a "portfolio of product solutions including charging stations, circuit protection equipment and transformers that touch every part of electric vehicle infrastructure development."

GE said it is hosting the EV tour help other businesses and key stakeholders understand technical and business approaches for deploying pure electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Each day-long stop in cities along the tour will include presentations by GE and community leaders, workshops to help stakeholders with EV planning, deployment, and integration strategies, and test drives.

Scheduled Tour dates are:

• San Francisco, March 10

• Seattle, March 15

• Los Angeles, March 17

• San Diego, March 22

Additional EV Experience Tour dates will be announced in Austin, New York City, and Washington, D.C. for Spring 2011.

"GE is playing a leadership role in the transformation to smarter transportation solutions and a smarter electrical grid," said Luis Ramirez, CEO, GE Energy Industrial Solutions. "Our EV Experience Tour is an important way for us to engage communities across the United States in the discussion about the economic and environmental advantages of EV deployment."

"We're committed to helping our customers learn what electric vehicles can do for their organizations," added Clarence Nunn, president & CEO of GE Capital Fleet Services. "Each of our tour stops will give participants first-hand exposure to the technical and business considerations for EV deployment and put them on a path toward adoption."

In support of the tour, GE is making an electric vehicle readiness toolkit is available on its ecomagination.com website to help municipalities, customers, and individuals prepare for wide-scale electric vehicle deployment.