GreenBkk Auto | General Electric to Place Big Order for Chevrolet Volt

General Electric to Place Big Order for Chevrolet Volt

By JIM MOTAVALLI

The General Electric WattStation electric vehicle charger.

General Electric announced on Thursday an ambitious plan that will support its new business in WattStation electric vehicle chargers. The company said it would buy 25,000 electric vehicles by 2015, including 12,000 from General Motors, starting with the Chevrolet Volt next year (although the Volt is technically a plug-in hybrid with a limited all-electric range).

G.E. said it would convert “at least half” of its global fleet of 30,000 vehicles to electric cars, and would also act as a partner with fleet customers.

The plan was originally announced in London last month by G.E.’s chairman and chief executive, Jeffrey R. Immelt, but the company has now released details. G.E. said it would add other companies to its order list “as manufacturers expand their electric vehicle portfolios.” According to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Mr. Immelt also said in London that half of its 45,000 sales force would drive electric cars.

Mr. Immelt said: “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.”

The company also said it would open what it called “electric vehicle customer experience and learning centers” at two locations: G.E.’s Advanced Manufacturing and Software Technology Center in Michigan and GE Capital’s Fleet Services headquarters in Minnesota.

G.E.’s plan is a big win for General Motors, whose chief executive, Daniel F. Akerson, said the order was “a vote of confidence in the Chevrolet Volt, which we will begin delivering to retail customers by the end of this year.” G.E. said nothing about a possible order for the Nissan Leaf or other battery-electric cars, but the extra range of the Volt (which has an onboard gasoline engine) would presumably be an advantage for GE’s traveling salesman.

Credit: The New York Times