GE, recently having introduced its electric vehicle Wattstation charger and announced a partnership with BetterPlace, has staked out a very big purchase of electric vehicles.

General Electric Co. may jump-start the electric-vehicle industry with an order that Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt said will be the largest in history.

GE, whose power-generation equipment provides a third of the world’s electricity, will order “tens of thousands” of the vehicles in about a week, Immelt said yesterday in a speech in London, without giving a total or identifying a manufacturer.

Expanding the world’s fleet of electric vehicles would bolster GE as it expands so-called clean-energy technology such as car chargers, solar panels and wind turbines. For every dollar of electric-vehicle sales, GE estimates it may get 10 cents in revenue, said Gary Sheffer, a spokesman.

Immelt said half of GE’s sales force of about 45,000 will drive electric vehicles.

This further reinforces that electric vehicles are gathering momentum.  It's one thing to put out a produce to prepare for a possible market position, it's another to place a big bet by incorporating it at large scale into the operations of one of the largest companies in the world. Which automaker GE chooses will also send a big signal - all electric? plug-in hybrid? wild-card BetterPlace?

Hat-tip Edmunds.com

Bay Area Climate Collaborative Announces $2.8M MTC Grant for Government EV Fleet National Demonstration Project

Project to Bring Electric Vehicles to Government Fleets to Reduce Dependence on Oil, Curb Emissions, and Catalyze National Adoption

SAN JOSE, C.A., Oct. 27, 2010 – The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) today announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) has awarded a $2.8 million grant to bring 90 electric vehicles (EVs) to government fleets across the San Francisco metro region. The BACC is working in partnership with Alameda County and a total of 11 jurisdictions including Sonoma County, and the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose.

Together with matching funds provided by participating agencies, the Local Government EV Fleet National Demonstration Project is worth $5 million. The grant is a part of MTC’s $33 million Climate Innovation Grants supporting clean transportation initiatives including electric taxis, car-share programs, and regional infrastructure for EVs.

“We’re thrilled to be the lead agency on this national demonstration project,” said Alameda County Fleet Manager Doug Bond. “We see an opportunity to showcase these vehicles not just locally but on a national scale, as well.”

Alameda County was awarded the NAFA Fleet Management Association Green Fleet honorable mention, and is ranked nationally as #25 in the Government Magazine's Green Fleet Awards. Additionally, Mr. Bond is a member of the Public Fleet Supervisor's Association Board.

“One of Sonoma County’s goals is to replace as many vehicles as possible with electric-vehicles and hybrids,” said Sonoma County Fleet Manager Dave Head. “We’ve moved aggressively on adding hybrids to the fleet and have seen a real cost benefit. All-electric vehicles are a natural next step for us.”

Sonoma County and Alameda County were each named one of the top 100 best fleets in 2010 by Government Fleet Magazine.

The Local Government EV Fleet National Demonstration Project will include detailed analysis as well as regional and national outreach to catalyze adoption of EVs in fleets nationwide. Anticipated to have a net annual CO2 emission reduction of 439,639 lbs overall, these vehicles are expected to cost approximately 3 cents per mile to fuel, compared to 10 to 15 cents per mile for typical gas vehicles.

“Electric vehicles reduce costs and lessen our dangerous dependence on polluting foreign oil,” said Rafael Reyes, Director of the Bay Area Climate Collaborative. “The Local Government EV Fleet National Demonstration Project provides an innovative model that can be emulated nationwide.”

About the Bay Area Climate Collaborative
The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) is an initiative launched by the mayors of San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland to accelerate clean energy in the San Francisco Bay Area region. With its ambitious 10 point action plan, the BACC is driving innovation, such as an exciting $5 million project to bring electric vehicles to Bay Area municipal fleets in a national demonstration project. For more information on the BACC, please visit: www.baclimate.org

BACC partner Better Place has struck a partnership with GE:

Under the new partnership, GE and Better Place will develop a battery financing program, beginning with a project to finance 10,000 batteries in Israel and Denmark.

The two companies will also push for electrification of corporate fleets.

Through the deal GE will also make its WattStation charger launched earlier this year in San Francisco compatible with Better Place's network.

The entry of GE earlier this year signaled a dramatic step up in the competition and maturation of the electric vehicle market.  With a market cap of over $160 billion, GE is larger than any individual automaker (Toyota being the largest at over $110).

GE brings financing clout, an essential component, and marketing reach.  But this deal also signals the importance of the backend part of the business model of charger startups - it's not just the chargers, but it's also the network.

In another sign players are looking ahead, GM has begun testing having batteries put power back on the grid to smooth electrical demand eg: "vehicle to grid".  Still a way off but it is perhaps a key strategy to support renewable energy.

BusinessWeek's Mark Johnson notes the key for cleantech innovation frequently lies as much or more in the broader industry issues.  Speaking of Thomas Edison, he notes:

So, while inventors around the world worked only on the bulb, he conceived an entire network of generators, meters, transmission lines, and substations. Most important, he showed how all those elements could be combined into a profitable business and demonstrated its commercial viability in the carefully circumscribed market of Lower Manhattan. And he won favorable regulatory treatment to help make it possible.

Johnson goes on to discuss Better Place as a model.