GE unveils LNG In A Box system

GE Oil & Gas introduced the LNG In A Box system, a small-scale, plug-and-play, re-deployable liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling solution based on proven technology that can help accelerate the use of natural gas as a cost-effective, cleaner transportation fuel.

The world’s first commercial application of the LNG In A Box system will be for LNG fueling stations in Europe to be delivered by Luxembourg-based LNG firm Gasfin through its operating company AIR-LNG, GE announced at the 17^thInternational Conference & Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG-17) in Houston.

Each LNG In A Box unit is fully equipped with a gas pre-treatment system, cold box assembly and boil off gas compressor as well as a GE’s turboexpander compressor, high-speed reciprocating compressor, electric motor, driver and control system. LNG In A Box units for Gasfin will be manufactured in the United States and will be shipped to Gasfin’s LNG fueling sites in Europe.

Gasfin signed a memorandum of understanding with GE to install five LNG In A Box units serving “clusters” of LNG fueling stations. The first unit will be installed near the border of Italy and Slovenia, with the potential for an additional 25 units for expansion into Europe and the CIS countries.

In comparison to GE’s Micro LNG plant announced last year (earlier post), this new system offers customers a more standardized, modular fueling solution covering an LNG production range of 10,000 – 50,000 gallons a day (16-18 tons/day). It expands GE’s existing LNG portfolio and is the first available in a 10,000-gallons-a-day capacity that reduces demand-side adoption risk and requires a low CapEx and OpEx commitment.

Small-scale solutions such as the LNG In A Box system may encourage the transition of long-haul trucks from diesel fuel to LNG, GE suggests. In the case of North America, fuel savings may yield a three-year payback based on current fuel prices.

The small-scale solution also is economically suited for customers seeking a 10-50,000-gallons-a-day production capacity. Typical LNG tanks for heavy-duty vehicles hold an average of 70-150 gallons (110-240 kg), so one 10,000-gallon-a-day (17 tons/day) system would be able to fuel up to 100 trucks per day.

Previously introduced GE products include the CNG In A Box system (earlier post), a fully integrated compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling supply system offering cost-effective plug-and-play simplicity for fleet and retail fueling stations that provide CNG fuel; and the Micro LNG plant to power remote industrial locations and for fueling long haul trucks and locomotives running on LNG in the future.

Source: Green Car Congress

GE Adds Natural-Gas Vehicles To Its Electric And Alternate-Fuels Fleet

Back in 2010, General Electric promised it would replace over half its fleet with electric and plug-in vehicles.

With planned orders for 25,000 plug-ins, it was quite some commitment--particularly at a time when only a handful of cars was available, and selling in very small numbers.

Three years on, and it appears that GE has started to include natural gas and propane-powered vehicles to its green tally.

But is it, as Bloomberg and other outlets are suggesting, a "detour"? Is GE backing down on its huge plug-in commitment? We're not so sure.

Since making the commitment back in 2010, GE has added around 11,000 vehicles from General Motors and Ford to its fleet--most of which are plug-in vehicles.

It isn't clear just how many vehicles "most" refers to, but GE's employee fleet totals 30,000 vehicles, and another 65,000 go to fleet customers. Electric vehicles may only make up a small proportion of those, but the market is growing all the time--and GE still has a couple more years to meet its 25,000 target.

Variety is the spice of life

Then, there's GE's explanation for introducing natural gas vehicles.

“It’s the demand of our customers,” explains Deb Frodl, GE's corporate fleet services strategy officer.

“There are so many technologies out there and our customers need a variety of technologies in their fleet today, not just one. We’re not picking winners and losers."

Some customers require large pickups and other vehicles. Naturally, then, the current small selection of plug-in vehicles isn't going to cover all bases.

A Chevy Volt or Ford C-Max Energi may not be suitable for every job, so it's unrealistic to suggest that GE's current test fleet of 300 natural gas-fueled Ford F-250 pickups is somehow a replacement for plug-ins.

Pike Research's Dave Hurst suggests it's a price issue. Plug-in hybrid and gasoline-electric hybrids made up around 26,500 of a 2.7 million vehicle fleet market in 2012. Less than a third of that number were plug-ins.

"We’re seeing the same thing on the fleet side as we’re seeing with retail. When you start looking at the total cost of ownership, the plug-in hybrids are still more expensive than a battery- electric vehicle or one with a small gasoline engine," said Hurst.

For GE, it appears variety is still the larger issue.

Relatively slow plug-in sales mean automakers are releasing electric vehicles with some caution--and a big fleet buyer like GE does have to seek alternatives if the desired option isn't available.

To us, that suggests that GE's 25,000 plug-in car target is still on track--even if it's diversifying into other alternative fuels in the meantime.

Source: Green Car Reports

GE Slowly But Surely Buying Hybrid Vehicles As Promised

Few companies have so vehemently and vocally supported hybrid and electric vehicles like General Electric. While it is obviously in the interest of GE, which produces charging stations and electrical components for electrified vehicles, GE made waves by pledging to replace half of its vehicle fleet with plug-in vehicles. Two years later, and that pledge is holding up, albeit at a slow, methodical pace.

A company like GE doesn’t normally just purchase 12,000 vehicles all at once. It makes no sense to replace a perfectly-good car, albeit a less-efficient one, with a vehicle like the Chevy Volt. Rather, as vehicles need replacing, GE is buying up cars like the Volt and the Ford C-Max Energi. With 30,000 vehicles in its fleet, GE stands to pad the sales numbers of hybrid vehicles all the way through 2015.

According to a report by Plug-In Cars, GE already has 2,000 electric or plug-in hybrid cars on the road, with another 3,000 on order. Additionally, GE has worked some CNG pickups into its fleet, and plans to have over 5,000 alt-fuel vehicles in its fleet by next spring. While GE is not a company without controversy, I personally appreciate their vocal support for this new breed of automobile.

This isn’t merely corporate activism either. GE produces many parts and accessories, like Wattstation EV chargers for electric vehicles, and there is a strong business case to be made for electrified vehicles saving money long-term. Between less maintenance and lower fueling costs, electrified vehicles can save companies like GE literally millions of dollars in operating costs over the long term. This is as much about cutting costs as it is about promoting a new product.

There are plenty of companies that could benefit from the lower operating costs of hybrid and electric cars. Delivery services like the UPS, FedEx, and the USPS are pursuing different alt-fuel vehicles, but only the USPS has made a commitment on the scale of GE, and those alt-fuel vehicles were overwhelmingly flex-fuel ethanol cars that probably use gasoline most of the time anyways. GE is diving in headfirst with the hybrids…will this move pay off?

Source: Plug-In Cars

GE to Purchase 2,000 Ford C-MAX Energi Plug-in Hybrids; Companies Collaborate with Georgia Tech to Accelerate Alternative Fuel Vehicle Adoption and Research

PRESS RELEASE

• GE will purchase 2,000 C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrids – Ford's largest-ever plug-in electrified vehicle fleet sale – as part of GE's commitment to convert half of its global fleet to alternative fuel vehicles
• C-MAX Energi is America's most fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid with a 108 MPGe city EPA rating and a 620-mile single-tank range that will benefit GE's sales and service professionals – many who drive more mileage daily than average commuters
• Ford will promote GE's WattStation™ charging station and CNG in a Box™ natural gas fueling station with its commercial buyers. Ford will also supply new alternative fuel vehicles for use at GE's Vehicle Innovation Center
• Georgia Institute of Technology researchers to study GE employee driving and charging habits through innovative MyFord® Mobile app to help optimize all-electric driving

DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 20, 2012 – Ford Motor Company today announces a collaboration with GE (NYSE: GE), in which the company will purchase 2,000 Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrids for its fleet – Ford's largest-ever plug-in electrified vehicle fleet sale. Ford will also jointly market GE's alternative fuel infrastructure solutions.

For GE, the purchase of 2,000 Ford C-MAX Energi vehicles is another step in the company's initiative to convert half of its global fleet to alternative fuel vehicles as part of its commitment to ecomagination. The addition of the Ford vehicles brings the number of alternative fuel vehicles in GE's fleet to more than 5,000 in its goal of 25,000 vehicles.

"Ford is launching six new electrified vehicles – a big bet that fuel prices will continue rising and lead to more demand for advanced fuel-efficient vehicles," says Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. "We are pleased to partner with GE, a company that is charting a similar course, to promote advanced technology and energy savings."

Mark Vachon, vice president of ecomagination at GE, says, "At GE, we are focused on providing our customers and our fleet with more economically and environmentally efficient vehicles. The Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid is a great addition to our expanding fleet of alternative fuel vehicles."

The two companies will also work with researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology to study GE employee driving and charging habits, with the goal of improving all-electric driving and charging performance. Researchers will use Ford's MyFord® Mobile app – with real-time battery charge status and value charging that automatically recharges at lower-cost, off-peak electricity rates.

"Understanding driving and charging habits is key to advancing vehicle and charging infrastructure," says Professor Bert Bras of the Sustainable Design & Manufacturing laboratory at Georgia Tech. "Through access to vehicle data, we can accelerate research and development of new technologies to further improve efficiency, driver satisfaction and environmental benefits."

Study findings will be shared with commercial customers to provide insights and help facilitate deployment of electric vehicles in their own fleets amid a growing electric vehicle infrastructure that now includes more than 10,000 public charging stations across the country.

Ecomagination is GE's commitment to providing innovative solutions that maximize resources, drive economic performance and help make the world work better.

Max efficiency
With many Americans facing record gasoline prices, Ford is committed to deliver eight vehicles by year-end that deliver 40 mpg or more.

The all-new Ford C-MAX Energi is America's most fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid with an EPA- estimated 108 miles-per-gallon equivalent (MPGe) city rating and 100 MPGe combined rating. C-MAX Energi is expected to be America's most affordable plug-in hybrid with a starting price of $29,995, after federal tax credit and including destination and delivery costs.

The C-MAX Energi joins the C-MAX Hybrid as part of Ford's first hybrid-only dedicated line of vehicles. C-MAX Hybrid, available in dealerships this fall, is America's most fuel-efficient hybrid utility vehicle with EPA ratings of 47 mpg city, 47 mpg highway and 47 mpg combined.

The C-MAX hybrids are on sale now and part of Ford's strategy to deliver the power of choice for leading fuel economy across the lineup that includes six electrified vehicles. The other EVs are:

• Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid expected to achieve at least 100 MPGe to become the world's most fuel-efficient sedan
• Fusion Hybrid at 47 mpg city, highway and combined is America's most fuel-efficient, non-rechargeable sedan
• Focus Electric at 105 MPGe combined is America's most fuel-efficient five-seat car
• Lincoln MKZ Hybrid coming later this year and expected to remain the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in America

More information about C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi can be found here.

Fueling infrastructure
Ford will promote GE's WattStation™ charging station and CNG in a Box™ natural gas fueling station with its commercial customers. GE's WattStation is an easy-to-use electric vehicle charger that significantly decreases the time needed for vehicle charging. The WattStation uses smart grid technology and comes with an app that helps customers more easily locate vehicle electricity sources. GE's ecomagination qualified CNG in a Box is a fully integrated CNG fueling supply system offering cost-effective plug-and-play simplicity for fleet and retail fueling stations seeking to offer CNG fuel.

Ford also will supply new alternative fuel vehicles for use at GE's Vehicle Innovation Center at the headquarters of GE's fleet management business in Eden Prairie, Minn. The Vehicle Innovation Center gives GE's commercial customers the opportunity to learn about and test-drive alternative fuel cars and trucks from a variety of manufacturers in a single location with assistance from GE's fleet, transportation, energy and advanced technology experts. Ford already has placed its pure electric Focus at the center.

# # #

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 172,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

About Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the world's premier research universities. Ranked seventh among U.S. News & World Report's top public universities, the Institute enrolls 21,000 students within its six colleges. Georgia Tech is the nation's leading producer of engineers as well as a leading producer of female and minority engineering Ph.D. graduates. Holding more than 780 patents and receiving approximately $570 million in sponsored awards, Georgia Tech ranks among the nation's top ten universities (without a medical school) in research expenditures. Visit www.gatech.edu for more information.

GE And Chesapeake Energy launch CNG In A Box system

GE and Peake Fuel Solutions, an affiliate of Chesapeake Energy Corporation, launched theCNG In A Box system, which allows easier adoption of compressed natural gas (CNG) refueling options for large- and small-scale retailers. (Earlier post.) The solution was unveiled at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) 2012 Annual Show.

A vehicle fleet operator that uses the CNG In A Box system for natural gas fueling instead of traditional gasoline fueling can save about 40% in fuel costs, according to the partners.

The CNG In A Box system compresses natural gas from a pipeline using a GE high-speed reciprocating compressor into CNG on-site at a traditional automotive fueling station or industrial location. CNG-powered vehicles such as taxis, buses or small trucks, as well as individual consumer vehicles, can then refill their tanks using a dispenser with the same look and feel as a traditional diesel or gasoline dispenser.

The CNG In A Box system’s 8 foot x 20 foot container is easy to ship and maintain due to its compact design. Its modular design makes it plug-and-play on-site. Wayne, A GE Energy Business, manufactures the dispensers that deliver the CNG from the CNG In A Box system unit to vehicles. These alternative fuel dispensers feature PCI-compliant pay-at-the-pump technology for a familiar and secure fueling experience. Using the same dispenser and payment terminal interfaces as Wayne petroleum dispensers simplifies point of sale integration.

Financing for the CNG In A Box system is offered by GE Capital, providing competitive rates and flexible payment options. By combining an entire acquisition— including equipment, delivery and installation— into a single monthly payment, Peake Fuel Solutions’ customers can structure payments according to their cash flow and eliminate the costs and time associated with paying multiple vendors. With this solution, business owners can work with a single provider to acquire, finance and maintain their CNG In A Box system.

Source: Green Car Congress

GE researchers developing at-home chilled natural gas refueling station for NG vehicles

Sketch of the targeted at-home unit. Click to enlarge.

GE researchers, in partnership with Chart Industries—a global manufacturer of standard and custom-engineered products and systems for cryogenic and heat transfer applications—and scientists at the University of Missouri, have been awarded $1.8 million by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E) (earlier post) to develop an affordable at-home refueling station that would meet ARPA-E’s target of $500 per station and reduce re-fueling times from 5-8 hours to less than 1 hour. The award is part of ARPA-E’s new MOVE (Methane Opportunities For Vehicular Energy) program.
The refueling station design being worked on is fundamentally different from how current re-fueling stations operate. These systems rely on traditional compressor technologies to compress and deliver fuel to a vehicle. The research team from GE, Chart Industries and the University of Missouri will design a system that chills, densifies and transfers compressed natural gas more efficiently. It will be a much simpler design with fewer moving parts, and that will operate quietly and be virtually maintenance-free.
The total cost of the 28-month program will be approximately $2.3 million, which will be shared by ARPA-E and GE. As part of the program, GE researchers will focus on overall system design integration. Chart Industries and University of Missouri will address the detailed engineering, cost and manufacturability of the key system components.
Natural gas prices are at an all-time low and the number of natural gas (NG) vehicles is increasing, but several barriers are preventing greater adoption of this vehicle technology. These include the inconvenience and low availability of refueling stations and limited driving range of NG vehicles.
At-home refueling stations are sold today, but are expensive (~$5,000) and require long re-fueling times. The 5-8 hours required to refuel an NG vehicle often leaves overnight re-fueling as the only the viable option for vehicle owners. While these barriers can be more easily managed by established fleets, they are not practical for passenger vehicles parked in the driveway or garage at home, GE suggests.

The goal of our project is to design an at-home refueling station that is much simpler in design, more cost effective and reduces re-fueling times to under an hour. By reducing the time and cost of re-fueling, we can break down the barriers that are preventing more widespread adoption of NG vehicles. If we can meet our cost targets, the price of a home refueling station would be less than typical appliances in the home such as a dishwasher or stove.

—Anna Lis Laursen, project leader and chemical engineer at GE Global Research

Today, the number of NG vehicles globally is estimated at around 15 million, with more than 250,000 in the US. Most are fleet vehicles such as buses and delivery trucks, but they include some passenger cars as well. With further improvements in the infrastructure to support NG vehicles, the market penetration could be much higher.
To accelerate the adoption of natural gas as a transportation fuel, GE also recently introduced the CNG In A Box technology which takes natural gas from a pipeline and compresses it on-site at an industrial location or at a traditional automotive refilling station to then turns it into CNG, making it faster, easier and less expensive for users to fuel up natural gas vehicles.


Source: Green Car Congress

GE Opens Innovation Center for Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Solutions - VIDEO

GE promotional video:

GE’s Hybrid Locomotive Cuts Fuel Consumption And Emissions

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve taken a look back at the rail innovations of GE through the lens of their recently launched annual reports data visualization. These innovations include America’s first electrification project and a train powered by beef tallow. But now I want to talk about hybrids, specifically GE’s Hybrid Evolution locomotive, which is being designed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions over its extended lifetime.

The GE Evolution Hybrid train is being designed with sophisticated sodium-metal batteries that will store energy recovered during braking. I don’t have to tell you that it takes a lot of energy to stop a 207-ton locomotive. If GE can capture even a fraction of that energy, it can then be used by the crew to lower fuel consumption while providing a boost of up to 2,000 horsepower.

The impact such trains could have on the environment, and rail travel as a whole, cannot be understated. The U.S. has one of the most efficient and cost-effective freight rail lines in the world. Train shipping is already very cost competitive with other methods of travel, and GE’s Evolution Hybrid trains could reduce fuel consumption by as much as 15 percent. That’s 15 percent more money invested elsewhere in the company. The energy saved over the course of a year could power 9,100 homes over the same year time-period. That’s a lot of energy, folks.

More importantly (at least as far as Mother Nature is concerned), these trains could reduce pollution by up to 50%. If you take a look through the 132 years of annual reports aggregated in GE’s new Data Visualization, you’ll see that their portfolio is full of emissions and fuel-reducing innovations. The GE Evolution Hybrid locomotive was introduced way back in 2005, and as yet I don’t think it is in production. But with gas prices on the rise once more, now is as good a time as ever to introduce a fuel-saving train to locomotive buyers.


Source: Gas2.0

GE “Forcing” Employees Into Chevy Volts

General Motors and General Electric are two companies that have been in the political crosshairs lately. GM stands accused of “crony capitalism,” while GE is under fire for paying no Federal income taxes in 2010. The two companies share more than that though, with GE placing an order for 12,000 Chevy Volts and other hybrid vehicles.

A memo leaked to Green Car Reports lays out GE’s plans for their new fleet of Volts, and as expected, it has some people crying foul.

The memo, sent to employees of GE Healthcare Americas team explains that all sedan, crossover, and minivan purchases in 2012 will be replaced by the Chevy Volt. Only field engineers are excepted from having to drive a company Volt.

GE will offer estimates for installation Level 2 Charging Stations, though all-gas use will be allowed when there is no electric option. Any employees who opt out of the Volt program will not be compensated for their expenses. Those who do choose to drive the Volt will be reimbursed for public charging and home charging costs, in addition to gas uses.

While some people are probably put off by having to drive a Volt, GE claims to have crunched the numbers and believes that in the long term, this will save the multi-national company big bucks. More than that though, GE is positioning itself as a big player in the EV charging market. Getting employees into Volts also means getting charging stations into homes.

It’s a bold move to be sure, and it will hopefully prove to be a boon to the Volt’s flagging sales numbers. GM had hopped to sell as many as 60,000 Volts in 2012, before dropping that number to 45,000. Will they even make that number though? Hard to tell, though GE’s business will go a long way towards giving the Volt some sales momentum.

Source: Gas2.0

GE, Nissan sign R&D agreement to fast track broader adoption of electric cars

GE and Nissan have signed a two-year research collaboration to speed up the development of a reliable, robust smart charging infrastructure to fuel mass market adoption of electric cars such as the Nissan LEAF.

GE and Nissan have identified two key focus areas for the research efforts: the first relates to the integration of electric vehicles with homes and buildings; the second looks at electric vehicle charging dynamics and the future impact on the grid once millions of electric cars are on the road.

Several projects around the two focus areas already are underway. In one project, researchers from the companies are studying how electric cars like Nissan LEAF can be incorporated into GE’s overall concept for a Smart Home. Nissan engineers are developing methods to connect the vehicle to the home, making it a more integrated part of the building's energy equipment. This project will look at how the addition of an electric car impacts the cost of electricity and changes overall home electricity loads.

In another study, researchers will use aggregate usage data along with sophisticated simulation and modeling experiments, to analyze the effect millions of electric cars could have on our electrical distribution system.

For all of these projects, researchers will be seeking answers to a number of important questions, including:

• How can smart energy management systems for homes and buildings be leveraged to support the management of EV charging?
• How can we take advantage of energy storage and renewable power, such as home solar arrays, to reliably manage and meet the power needs of electric cars?
• Are there innovative ways to directly link charging stations with renewable power sources?

Nissan researchers are studying the use of two-way power flow between the vehicle and the home, via its CHAdeMO quick charging port, as a method to reduce the home’s consumption from the grid during peak periods, or to utilize the vehicle for emergency backup power. GE researchers have programs under way to understand how these systems, in tandem with the utility, could be used to meet vehicle charging needs without over-stressing the grid.

GE’s work will be conducted primarily at its global research operations in Niskayuna, New York. Nissan Technical Center North America, located in Farmington Hills, Mich., will lead the automaker’s efforts, including integration of vehicle-to-home charging technology, with support from the Nissan Advanced Technology Center in Japan.

Source: Green Car Congress

GE and GM to partner on deploying EV infrastructure in China; focus on Shanghai

General Electric and General Motors signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate jointly the deployment of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in China. The MOU was announced at the 2011 China International Electric Power and Electric Engineering Technology Exhibition in Shanghai.

The main piece of the co-operation centers on Shanghai, which was selected by the Chinese government as the country’s first EV pilot city earlier this year and home to both GE’s and GM’s China headquarters. The two companies agreed to install GE’s WattStation and DuraStation charging systems at a government-assigned international EV demonstration zone in Shanghai’s Jiading District and at the GM Headquarters office in the city.

WattStation and DuraStation are different specifications of EV charging systems developed by GE Energy Industrial Solutions group that enable rapid charging for electric vehicles both at home and on the road.

According to the agreement, GE will also purchase GM’s Chevrolet Volt, an electric vehicle with extended-range capability, for use at its China headquarters campus in Shanghai. General Motors plans to begin selling Volts in China before the end of this year.

In addition, the companies will coordinate their respective engagement efforts with relevant Chinese government ministries, regulators and grid operators on formulation of the country’s EV industrial standards.

The electric vehicle era is not only about cars powered by greener fuels; a convenient charging facility network will play a key role in its success. To make it a reality in China, we bring innovative charging station solutions and are engaging grid operators, auto makers, city governments and end customers to advance their deployment.

—GE China’s Chief Commercial Officer Albert Wong

In August, GE Energy announced a partnership with Hertz Corporation, the world’s largest airport car rental company, to advance the rollout of EVs and charging stations in China, which includes the co-location of electric vehicles and GE EV charging infrastructure as a combined offering.

GM regards electrification as a key global industry trend. We are bringing our solutions for the electrification of the motor vehicle to China as part of our commitment to the sustainable development of the automotive industry. We look forward to working with GE to promote the acceptance and infrastructure for use of vehicles powered by electricity in the world’s largest vehicle market.

—Ray Bierzynski, GM Executive Director of Electrification

Source: Green Car Congress

Corporate Vehicle Fleet Managers Looking To Add EV's

Fleet managers rated rising, volatile fuel prices as their top concern for 2011, over driver safety and cost savings, according to a survey conducted by General Electric Capital Fleet Services during the 2011 NAFA Institute and Expo. The survey shows that 28% of the 105 corporate fleet managers they questioned will introduce electric vehicles into their fleets within a year, possibly as one solution to the spike in gas prices.

Fleet vehicle heavy hitters like Ryder, UPS, FedEx (and even the USPS!) already boast EVs in their fleets. Back in November, General Electric Co. (GE) pledged to purchase 25,000 electric vehicles for its own fleet and for global fleet customers by 2015- almost have of which will be purchased from General Motors Co. The first model will be the Chevrolet Volt- which has been earning rave reviews from owners.

While 25,000 vehicles may be a drop in the bucket, Deb Frodl, Chief Strategy Officer for GE Capital Fleet Services, claims that GE might be in a “strong position” to promote EV adoption and growth, presumably by example. GE owns one of the largest fleets, operates a global fleet management business, and offers a multitude of EV-related products that may contribute to the development of an EV infrastructure. There are also now more plug-in and electric vehicle options for fleet managers to choose from than just five years ago, giving the market more choice in which direction they choose to go.

Source: Gas2.0

General Electric To Host Electric Vehicle Experience Tour

General Electric will be hosting a seven-city Electric Vehicle Experience Tour that will bring automakers together in order to educate the public on the technology and operation of plug-in and pure electric vehicles.

Supporting the electric vehicle market, GE has already arranged to purchase 25,000 electric vehicles by 2015 for its own fleet as well as for fleet customers. By hosting the Experience Tour, GE hopes to help these businesses acknowledge and understand the various technical and business approaches possible for the successful production and sale of these vehicles. The goal is to show more and more US communities the advantages of using plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles as well as help them become more engaged in their growth. GE is staking a lot of money on EV acceptance, including building hybrid buses and investing in a charging infrastructure. They are poised to become a big player in the electrified vehicle market….as long as consumers get on board too.

According to Clarence Nunn, President and 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.” Each stop within the seven cities will last a full day, which will include presentations by GE and community leaders along with workshops that will help companies with integration strategies, electric vehicle planning and deployment, as well as test drives.

The dates and locations of the tour are as follows: San Francisco, CA March 10^th, Seattle, WA March 15^th, Los Angeles, CA March 17^th, San Diego, CA March 22^nd. GE also plans to announce more tour dates for Spring 2011 in New York, NY, Washington, DC and Austin, Texas.

Source: Gas2.0

Introducing The General Electric "Electric Bus of the Future"

GE Electric Bus

PRESS RELEASE:

GE Demonstrates “Electric Bus of the Future”

Dual battery system provides cost-effective solution for electrification of buses, delivery trucks, off-highway vehicles and other heavy-duty vehicles

Has potential to reduce battery cost by up to 20%

NISKAYUNA, NY, December 2, 2010 – The hybrid systems research team at GE Global Research, the company’s central technology development arm, announced a significant breakthrough that could help accelerate the electrification of bus fleets, delivery trucks and other larger, heavy-duty vehicle fleets.

The GE team successfully demonstrated a dual battery system on a zero tailpipe emissions hybrid transit bus that pairs a high-energy density sodium battery with a high-power lithium battery. To view a video of the bus being test driven, -click here-.

While significant advances in battery technology have been made, further reductions in the size and cost of batteries will be needed to enable the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. GE researchers believe a dual system with high power and energy storage capacity could achieve the optimal electric driving range and acceleration requirements at a more practical size scale and cost for larger vehicles. The research is being done as part of a $13 million research project GE is engaged in with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Northeast Advanced Vehicle Consortium, funded under the National Fuel Cell Bus Program.

“Public transit and delivery service providers recognize the importance and benefits of transitioning to an electric fleet, but are looking for cost-effective solutions to make that possible,” said Lembit Salasoo, Senior Electrical Engineer and Principal Investigator on the hybrid bus project at GE Global Research. “With the cost of the battery remaining a principal hurdle, a dual battery system could bring these costs down and help accelerate the electric revolution for bus and delivery truck fleets representing hundreds of thousands of vehicles.”

“We’re entering a decade of unprecedented activity and developments in electrified transportation,” Salasoo added. “With heavier vehicle platforms, both energy storage and power are a premium to deliver optimal vehicle performance, but the exact needs can vary based on a vehicle’s size and drive cycle. The beauty of our dual battery system is that it can be scaled to deliver just the right combination of power and storage.”

Many of the 843,000 buses registered in the U.S. (including most of the 63,000 transit buses and 480,000 school buses) travel less than 100 miles per day. Enabling more of these buses to transition to an all-electric, zero emissions platform would dramatically reduce CO2 emissions and petroleum fuel consumption.

Most types of batteries today come with a trade-off between power and energy storage. For example, lithium batteries, provide a lot of power for acceleration, but are not optimized to store energy for driving range. Sodium batteries are on the opposite side of the spectrum. They store large amounts of energy, but are less optimized for power. GE’s dual battery combines the best attributes of both chemistries into a single system. In the hybrid transit bus demonstration, the lithium battery focused on the high power acceleration and braking, while the sodium battery provided an even electric power flow to extend the bus range. Each type of battery does what it does best.

In addition to optimizing performance, a dual system can reduce the cost of a battery by up to 20% compared to a single battery system for vehicle applications like transit buses and delivery trucks that require significant power and energy storage capacity. The key cost advantage of a dual system is that it provides flexibility to integrate less expensive battery chemistries without having to increase the size of the battery to address a vehicle’s power and energy storage needs. A single battery system would require a more costly scale up in the size of the battery to achieve the same result.

The development of a dual battery system and partnership with the FTA is a key part of GE’s growing hybrid and electric technology portfolio. GE is actively exploring partnership opportunities across the electric vehicle value chain through its Licensing business to commercialize its dual battery technology.

GE also is developing new technologies and products to support the integration of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and electric vehicles (EV) into the electric grid.

We’re building a new battery factory in Schenectady, New York, which will commercialize GE’s new Durathon battery with best-in-class sodium technology performance.
In July, GE announced the launch of WattStationTM, a new electric vehicle charging station that will be commercially available globally in 2011.

In April, GE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the automaker, Nissan to explore new technologies that will be needed to build a reliable, dynamic smart-charging infrastructure.
In September, GE established a technology and financing partnership with Better Place to accelerate the global deployment of an electrical vehicle infrastructure through collaboration in four key areas: standards-based technology development, battery financing, joint fleet electrification programs and consumer awareness.

Building on these investments and research activities, GE announced it would purchase 25,000 electric vehicles by 2015 for its own fleet and through its Capital Fleet Services business – the largest-ever single electric vehicle commitment. GE will initially purchase 12,000 GM vehicles, beginning with the Chevrolet Volt in 2011, and will add other vehicles as manufacturers expand their electric vehicle portfolios.

GE’s activities in hybrid and battery technologies, electric vehicle charging and PHEV and EV grid integration are closely aligned with its ecomagination initiative. Ecomagination represents the company’s commitment to deliver new clean products and technologies to market that help solve our toughest environmental challenges. GE has more than 80 eco-certified products, including cutting-edge energy efficient lighting and appliance products, which have met the Initiative’s goal of improving both operational and environmental performance. Recently, the company pledged to double its investment in clean R&D over the next five years from $5 billion to $10 billion.

About GE’s Hybrid Systems Team

GE’s Hybrid Systems Team is a diverse group of some 25 scientists and engineers – a few with more than three decades of experience in electric and hybrid vehicle technologies.

About GE Global Research

GE Global Research is the hub of technology development for all of GE’s businesses. Our scientists and engineers redefine what’s possible, drive growth for our businesses and find answers to some of the world’s toughest problems. We innovate 24 hours a day, with sites in Niskayuna, New York; Bangalore, India; Shanghai, China; and Munich, Germany. Visit GE Global Research on the web at www.ge.com/research. Connect with our technologists at http://edisonsdesk.com and http://twitter.com/edisonsdesk.