GE thinks it can help charge up demand for Nissan Leaf and other electric vehicles.
General Electric wants a piece of the electric vehicle action and is teaming up with Nissan to figure out how it can help expedite the adoption of electric vehicles.
Signing a new partnership with the Japanese maker, GE officials say they aren’t interested in putting their badge on a battery car but see other huge opportunities. With corporate ventures in fields as far flung as battery manufacturing, electric motors and even green energy generation, the conglomerate’s CEO Jeffrey Immelt has suggested in recent months GE could wind up making substantial profits if the electric vehicle industry takes off.
“We want to get into this space in a big way,” said Mark Little, Senior Vice President and Director, GE Global Research, during a joint news conference with Nissan held at the automaker’s suburban Detroit engineering center. “As the U.S. and world move toward electric vehicles, the automotive sector is forming new industry connections that extend well beyond the traditional OEM space.”
There are any number of new players entering the battery car market, including start-ups like Tesla, Fisker and Bright Automotive. “We don’t want to build cars,” cautioned Little. However, GE can help Nissan make EVs easier to use and more consumer friendly, he said.
With the all-electric Nissan LEAF, Nissan has emerged as a leader in zero-emission vehicles, developing new technologies and partnerships to speed mass market adoption of electric cars and to ensure their successful integration into the grid.
“One of the biggest connections being made is with companies that generate and provide electricity. As a major provider of power generation equipment and energy services, GE is in a great position to help the automotive industry bring millions of electric vehicles onto the grid,” Little said.
GE’s work will be conducted primarily at its global research operations in Niskayuna, New York, where the latest electric transportation research and smart grid technology will facilitate research programs between the two companies.
The Nissan Technical Center North America in Farmington Hills, Mich., will lead the automaker’s efforts, including integration of vehicle-to-home charging technology, with support from the Nissan Advanced Technology Center in Japan.
Bob Sump, Nissan’s vice president of vehicle engineering, said GE’s broad expertise with energy networks will help Nissan create better conditions in the market for electric cars like Nissan Leaf.
“Connections like this research partnership with GE reinforce Nissan’s commitment to bring zero emission mobility to the mass market,” said Carla Bailo, senior vice president, Research and Development, Nissan Americas.
Several projects involving the two new partners already are underway.
In one, researchers are studying how electric cars like Nissan Leaf can be incorporated into GE’s overall concept for a Smart Home.
Nissan engineers are developing methods to connect the vehicle to the home, making it a more integrated part of the building’s energy equipment through a two-way power flow between the vehicle and the home.