GE to convert half its global vehicle fleet to electric

GE has announced it will 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.
March 2, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
"This transformation will be good for our business and for our shareowners. Wide-scale adoption of electric vehicles will also drive clean energy innovation, strengthen energy security and deliver economic value" - Jeff Immelt
940 GE has announced it will 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.
The company will convert at least half of its 30,000 global fleet and will partner with fleet customers to deploy a total of 25,000 electric vehicles by 2015. GE will initially purchase 12,000 1959 GM vehicles, beginning with the 1960 Chevrolet Volt in 2011, and will add other vehicles as manufacturers expand their electric vehicle portfolios. GE and its partners will use a mix of electric vehicle technologies to meet their respective needs. Chevrolet Volts will roll off production lines this month and other automakers are bringing electric vehicles to market. As this occurs, the company says it is in a strong position to help deploy the supporting infrastructure to help its 65,000 global fleet customers convert and manage their fleets.

GE owns one of the world’s largest 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. This enables the company to lead wide-scale electric vehicle adoption and generate growth for its businesses.

“Electric vehicle technology is real and ready for deployment and we are embracing the transformation with partners like GM and our fleet customers,” said GE chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt. “By electrifying our own fleet, we will accelerate the adoption curve, drive scale, and move electric vehicles from anticipation to action.

“We make technology that touches every point of the electric vehicle infrastructure and are leading the transformation to a smarter electrical grid,” Immelt said. “This transformation will be good for our businesses and for our shareowners. Wide-scale adoption of electric vehicles will also drive clean energy innovation, strengthen energy security and deliver economic value.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • ITS America Annual Meeting - setting the scene
    May 1, 2012
    Gloria J. Jeff, District of Columbia Department of Transportation, and one of the co-chairs of the 2012 Annual Meeting Organizing Committee, sets the scene on what will be this year’s most important event for the ITS industry.
    Read More
  • First all-electric car-sharing scheme in North America to launch
    April 19, 2012
    ECOtality has announced a partnership with Car2go, a subsidiary of Daimler North America Corporation, to provide electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support what is being claimed as the first 100-per cent electric car sharing programme in North America. With plans for approximately 300 Smart Fortwo electric drive vehicles, the programme in San Diego represents the largest fleet of EVs in the United States.
    Read More
  • Profitable niches in the electric vehicles market
    December 18, 2015
    Vehicles are electrifying at a breakneck speed and they are being completely reinvented with developments in many components and systems, according to a report by IDTechEx Research. Disruptive change and significant technological innovation is now being seen across all forms of electric vehicles for land, water and air. The fruits of all this are spectacular – from the vehicles themselves to over US$500 billion market opportunity that will be created by 2026. IDTechEx Research analyses and forecasts eve
    Read More
  • Asian forum calls for vehicle quotas
    April 29, 2013
    The seventh Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum in Asia, held in Bali, concluded with a commitment by Asian countries to implement sustainable transportation systems with the signing of the Bali Declaration on Vision Three Zeros — Zero Congestion, Zero Pollution and Zero Accidents. The international forum welcomed representatives from across Asia, as well as international organisations, bilateral and multilateral agencies, research organisations and sustainable transportation professi
    Read More

Highlighted Content