The buy would account for more than half of GE’s 30,000-car fleet and includes vehicles customers may lease from its GE Capital unit, GE said in a statement. GM’s share of the order is 12,000 electric vehicles, including the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Photo of a Chevy Volt EV

GE Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt hopes to position the Fairfield, Connecticut-based corporation to benefit from more energy- efficient technologies in the clean energy automobiles industry. To that end, GE produces batteries, car-charging stations and smart-grid systems. GE claims it is in a “strong position” to help 65,000 leasing customers switch to electric automobiles and forecasts that the electric-car market will grow around $500 million in sales in the next three years.

“Wide-scale adoption of electric vehicles will also drive clean-energy innovation, strengthen energy security and deliver economic value,” Mr. Immelt said in the statement. One-third of the world’s electricity is generated by GE’s power-plant equipment, and the need for stations to charge electric vehicles would spur demand for increased power from its utility customers.

Sale of GM Shares

GE’s order is a much-needed shot-in-the-arm for the Volt as the Detroit-based car-maker readies itself for an initial public offering following its widely publicized and political restructuring and bankruptcy in 2009. The deal is intended to help both companies, said Jim Hall, principal of the vehicle consulting firm 2953 Analytics in Birmingham, Michigan.

“Fleet sales will always help; it might also get other companies interested,” Hall told Bloomberg. “Any co-marketing with a large company has potential.”

On the day of the announcement, GE shares fell 20 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $16.35 at 4:15 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares gained 8.1 percent this year, through November 11.

During in a speech in London last month, Mr. Immelt told the audience that he planned to order “tens of thousands” of clean energy electric vehicles in an effort to promote increased private spending on renewable-energy investments.

The GE CEO is increasing research and development by 18 percent this year at the company. Furthermore, they are spending $20 billion on clean energy R&D in 2011 and 2012. GE, which showed-off its WattStation plug-in charging system in July, 2010, plans to declare winners of its $200 million SmartGrid contest later this month.

Mr. Hall said that GE wants “to own a big chunk of the vehicle-charging business”.

Oil and Emissions

Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration has already committed more than $11 billion in tax money to help car and battery makers start manufacturing electric vehicles.

“Electric vehicles are a real-world technology that can reduce both emissions and our dependence on oil,” said GM CEO Dan Akerson in the GE statement.

GM intends to deliver Chevy Volts to retail customers by the end of 2010, he said. The sedan comes with electric motor to drive the wheels. A gasoline engine recharges the batteries once their power is depleted.

Other car-makers planning to sell battery-powered vehicles in the next 18 months include Nissan Motor Co., starting with Leaf hatchbacks in late 2010; Ford Motor Co., making electric versions of its Transit Connect commercial delivery van and the Focus compact car; Toyota Motor Corp., which plans to sell a rechargeable RAV4 sport-utility vehicle (SUV); and Renault, with its commercial delivery and transit mini-truck, the Kangoo.

In purchasing so many vehicles, GE will help drive down prices of the available EVs, and that should spur production and increase demand for battery plants and additional parts-makers, said Fred Smith, CEO of FedEx Corp. and Chairman of the Electrification Coalition, a Washington-based organization of transportation and energy executives, in the statement.

“Make Electric Vehicles More Visible”

This deal will “make electric vehicles more visible and acceptable to the public at large,” said Mr. Smith. “This is good for GE, good for our economy and good for our nation.”

GE plans to open and maintain two customer centers to evaluate electric vehicle-charging, maintenance requirements and driver experience. They also plan to display an array of models and manufacturers in these centers. According to the statement, there will be one near Detroit, in Van Buren Township, Michigan, which is home to a new technology center GE announced last year. The second will be in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, home of GE Capital Fleet Services.

GE is investing $10 billion over the next five years in clean energy throughout its business vertices. GE produces lithium-ion batteries for cars and trucks in a venture with A123 Systems Inc. and sodium-based batteries for use in locomotives and other large vehicles.

GE Energy Infrastructure is the company’s largest industrial unit, responsible for $37 billion of the parent company’s $157 billion in revenue in 2009. GE is also the world’s largest maker of locomotives, medical-imaging equipment, jet engines, and related information technology systems, as well as the owner of mass media, including NBC Networks.

GE was a major funds contributor to the Obama campaign for President in 2008, and Mr. Immelt has been a close advisor to Mr. Obama during his campaign and in his first term as President.

Israel’s Transportation Ministry has approved the Better Place company’s plan to import 13 Renault Fluence electric vehicles (EVs) to start testing their infrastructure.

Better Place plans to commence commercial operations in late 2011.

The Israeli Transportation ministry announced yesterday that after signing oversight orders which eases the criteria to allow new importers into the vehicle market, it has approved this import. The cars are due to start arriving by the beginning of December.

The ministry also approved importing the Renault Kangoo, set to become the first electric vehicle available for commercial use. The ministry stated that Further EVs for non-commercial use should arrive in 2011, including models from Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Citroen.

Approval of Better Place’s request and the additional future imports are part of the ministry’s plan aimed at encouraging more environmentally friendly and safer vehicles.

Photo of a Better Place EV Battery Swap procedure

The ministry also requested that the Standards Institution of Israel establish a committee to create standards for EVs and the infrastructure required to build and maintain the electric vehicle industry. The committee intends to publish its standards in 2011.

Better Place’s 13 vehicles will test its system of charging stations and battery-switch platforms, as well as its Pi Glilot demonstration center, which is located at the main junction between Tel Aviv and Herzliya Pituach.

Simultaneously, Ha’aretz’s Business Daily, The Marker, reported that the National Infrastructures Ministry plans to forbid charging electric vehicles directly from one’s home. The business paper indicated that the reason for the policy is to regulate demand for electricity. The unstated reason is to impede the large-scale ale and use of competitive EVs which do not require recharging at regulated stations, as well as to prevent alternative EV companies from competing with Better Place, which has a strong foothold with key members of the Israeli government and the Transportation Ministry.

Should this policy be instituted and enforced, it would establish Better Place as the only company offering charging station and battery-swap infrastructure, and strengthen their partnership with car manufacturers. In other words, it would guarantee Better Place a monopoly at a crucial time in the development of the Israeli EV industry.

Israel would be the first country where the Better Place system will be rolled-out fully. The second country in its planned deployment to be achieved soon afterwards, is Denmark.

The company has also reached agreements with various US states and cities, as well as locales in Australia as well.

Better Place was founded by Israeli entrepreneur Shai Agassi and is based in California and Israel.

The Transportation Ministry said that already, there are 8,000 natural gas powered cars and 10,000 hybrid cars on the road in Israel.

The car feels very easy to drive, offering smooth and quiet acceleration. Leaf models will come standard with navigation, which Nissan also ties into the ever important range tools.

Photos of the new Nissan LEAF EV

Most impressive is the price. At $32,780 it might sound on the pricey side, but a Federal tax credit knocks $7,500 off the price. A number of states also offer a $5,000 tax credit, putting the real price of the Leaf around $20k.

1. Switch to compact fluorescent lamps
2. Unplug those unused appliances
3. Skip the supersized appliances, buy what you need
4. WALK, don’t drive
5. Turn the computer off at night

1. Compact fluorescent lamps have never been cheaper and easier to get. They cost more than the old light bulbs, but can save you $30 (in the US, for example) in electricity costs over the lamps life time. The average life span of compact flourescent lamps is 8 to 15 times that of incandescants! Lighting counts for about 9% of household electricity usage in the US. Start by buying a few to get used to the difference in the light (it’s white and not yellow). After a few days, you’ll probably end up prefering your new lights! You’ll definitely see a difference in your electric bill.

2. Have a stereo with fancy disco lights that you only use twice a week? Go unplugged! Same goes for the dvd, microwave and anything else in the house that uses lights while you’re away all day. Also, consider not putting compact flourescent lamps in every fixture. Homes often come with more than you need. Let there be light, but let there not be too much light! Even if you find one fixture that you realize you don’t need, you’re saving energy!

3. A bigger microwave takes more energy to heat last night’s pizza. A bigger refrigerator requires more energy to cool your food. If you don’t need an oversized microwave and fridge, consider buying a small one. You’ll save twice – once when you buy it and again every month on your electric bill. Most of us don’t do major chef cooking on a microwave (who does?!) – the smallest model is the way to go. Those oversized refrigerators will encourage you to buy industrial sized food and you’ll end up with a supersized stomach! A smaller model will gently push you to go shopping twice a week instead of once a month. You’ll save energy and be healthier.

illustration of a man charging up his electric car

4. Walk to the store, to work and to your friends! If you live in a smart community, then most of your daily needs should be within a 15 minute walk from home. Make use of it! The best way to get back at those evil oil exporting countries is to leave the tin box at home. Plan your week so you need the car less. If you just bought that smaller fridge and you’re going to the supermarket twice a week instead of once a month, take a small backpack and go for a walk. Save energy and burn the best kind of energy – calories!

Roller Blading

5. Turn the computer off at night. You’re downloading some amazing filesharing stuff and you want to finish. But consider this – you could be spending that same electricity bill money on buying the cd’s and dvd’s that you’re downloading! Turning the computer off for 7-10 hours a day will make a big difference. If you’re going to be out of the house for over an hour, turn off the computer and save energy! While we’re talking about night time, make a plan for night lights. Go through your house and decide which light you *really* need on at night. There’s usually no reason for more than one – the one between your room and the bathroom. The energy you can save during the time you’re asleep in your bedroom will add up to a lot – it’s 6-8 hours a night of less energy. If you do need one light on, make it a compact flourescent lamp that has a small wattage.

Saving at night will give you more money to spend in the day! Saving energy is the way to go. If we all do our part and lower our energy bills, we can make a big difference. Take a tour of your home – look around and see what *you* can do! Clean energy can be fun if you keep a positive attitude – see these tips as a fun project that will add extra cash to your wallet.

We wish you a lower electric bill!!