The GE Electric Vehicle Experience Tour Charges the East Coast

NEW YORK--May 2, 2011: GE Energy Industrial Solutions and GE Capital Fleet Services, in another move to drive adoption in the electric vehicle market, will continue GE's national Electric Vehicle (EV) Experience Tour with a stop in New York City on May 12. The U.S. tour is part of GE's ecomagination® business initiative to accelerate the innovation and deployment of clean energy solutions.

“Our goal is to help build the ecosystem necessary to support the large-scale deployment of electric vehicles”

After the event in New York City, the GE EV Experience Tour will travel to Washington, D.C., on May 19. GE successfully wrapped up the multi-city, west coast segment of its EV Experience Tour last month, stopping in San Francisco (March 10), Seattle (March 15), Los Angeles (March 17) and San Diego (March 22).

The tour includes presentations by GE and industry leaders; educational workshops to support EV planning, deployment and integration strategies; and electric-vehicle test drives. Each tour segment provides a forum for GE experts to connect with local businesses, influencers and public-sector stakeholders to dialogue on the business case for EV ecosystems and concludes with an "EV Ride & Drive" featuring cars and trucks from a number of electric vehicle manufacturers.

"Our goal is to help build the ecosystem necessary to support the large-scale deployment of electric vehicles," says Luis Ramírez, CEO, GE Energy Industrial Solutions. "The GE EV Experience Tour is an exciting opportunity to collaborate with key thought leaders and work to shape the standards and policies that will guide the development of the infrastructure necessary to support the EV ecosystem in the New York City and Washington, D.C., areas."

GE has provided electrical distribution products for more than 100 years and can offer a full suite of solutions--from leasing and vehicle management services to a network of charging stations, charging software development, customer infrastructure upgrades and electrical grid integration. The successful large-scale deployment of EVs will require an end-to-end infrastructure solution of circuit protection equipment, transformers and charging stations to deliver a viable EV ecosystem.

"The business case for electric vehicles is growing even stronger amid rising fuel costs, economic and energy security concerns and the need for sustainable transportation," says Clarence Nunn, president and CEO of GE Capital Fleet Services. "At each of our EV Experience Tour stops, we've been able to help our customers position their own organizations to take advantage of this exciting new technology and we're looking forward to sharing our insights with leaders in New York and Washington, D.C."

GE's electric vehicle chargers, including the easy-to-use, smart, fast and award-winning GE WattStation* Electric Vehicle Charging Station, will accompany the GE EV Experience Tour.