GE announced that it will host an electric vehicle experience 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, which previously announced plans to purchase 25,000 EVs by 2015 for its own fleet and for fleet customers, says it is hosting the EV Experience Tour to help other businesses and key stakeholders understand technical and business approaches for deploying pure electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Each daylong 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; and San Diego, March 22. Additional EV Experience Tour dates will be announced for spring in Austin, New York City and Washington, D.C.
“GE is playing a leadership role in the transformation to smarter transportation solutions and a smarter electrical grid,” says Luis Ramirez, chief executive officer of 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.”
GE is working with GM, Ford, Toyota, Navistar, Smith Electric Vehicles, Mitsubishi, Coda, Smart, THINK and other organizations on the tour. “We’re committed to helping our customers learn what electric vehicles can do for their organizations,” says Clarence Nunn, president and CEO of GE Capital Fleet Services. “Each of our tour stops will give participants firsthand exposure to the technical and business considerations for EV deployment and put them on a path toward adoption.”
GE’s EV Experience Tour and electric vehicle program are part of its ecomagination business strategy to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technology though innovation and research-and-development investment. In support of the tour, an electric vehicle readiness toolkit is available on ecomagination.com to help municipalities, customers and individuals prepare for wide-scale electric vehicle deployment.
