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GE's Electric Vehicle Experience Tour Accelerates into Minneapolis


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EDEN PRAIRIE, MN--July 8, 2011: GE announced today that its national electric vehicle tour will stop in Minneapolis for an event on July 11 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.

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

The tour, led by GE’s Fleet Services and Industrial Solutions businesses, is part of the company’s ecomagination® initiative to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technology though innovation and R&D investment.

GE launched the tour in San Francisco in March and has since made stops in Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, New York, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. The event in Minneapolis will give Twin Cities EV stakeholders the opportunity to participate in workshops on the technical and business considerations for EV planning and deployment. Participants can also take part in an “EV Ride & Drive” featuring electric cars and trucks from a variety of manufacturers.

GE has committed to purchase 25,000 EVs by 2015 for its own fleet and for fleet customers. It owns one of the world’s largest vehicle fleets and operates a leading global fleet management business.

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. GE offers a full suite of solutions -- from leasing and vehicle management services, to a network of charging stations, charging software development, customer infrastructure upgrades, transformers, and electrical grid integration services that touch every part of electric vehicle infrastructure development.

“We’re committed to helping our customers position their own organizations to take advantage of electric vehicle technology, and through the EV Experience Tour, we’re engaging directly with them through workshops and test driving experiences,” said Clarence Nunn, President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Capital Fleet Services. With headquarters in Eden Prairie, MN, GE’s Fleet Services business is a global leader in fleet management and helps its large and small business customers manage 1.3 million vehicles around the world.

GE’s electric vehicle chargers, including the easy-to-use, smart, fast and award-winning GE WattStation* Electric Vehicle Charging Station, are accompanying the tour and will be on display in Minneapolis.

“Our goal is to help build the EV ecosystem necessary to support the large-scale deployment of electric vehicles,” says Luis Ramierez, 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 important regions like the Twin Cities.”

About GE

GE is an advanced technology, services and finance company taking on the world’s toughest challenges. Dedicated to innovation in energy, health, transportation and infrastructure, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide.

GE Capital offers consumers and businesses around the globe an array of financial products and services.

About GE Energy

Helping to lead the future of electrification around the globe, GE Energy's Industrial Solutions division seeks to forge strong relationships with its customers, identifies challenges then solves them, and invests in innovative technologies that help create a cleaner, smarter and more efficient electrical infrastructure.

Operating in more than 60 countries, our dedicated teams manufacture and service electrical distribution, control systems and motor products for industrial facilities. Recent innovations include EntelliGuard® circuit breakers, Pegasus® induction motors, the Arc Vault protection system, and WattStation electric vehicle charging stations.