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