{"172741":{"#nid":"172741","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Collaborates with GE, Ford on Alternative Fuel Vehicle Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology are partnering with GE and Ford Motor Co. to study ways to add greater efficiencies to electric driving and charging performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGE recently announced its plans to purchase 2,000 new Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrids for its fleet. As part of the collaboration, Ford will jointly market GE\u2019s alternative fuel infrastructure solutions to commercial customers and provide new alternative fuel vehicles for use at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gefleet.com\/eco\u0022\u003EGE\u2019s Vehicle Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two companies will also work with researchers at Georgia Tech to study GE employee driving and charging habits, with the goal of improving driving and charging performance in electric vehicles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo collect data, Georgia Tech researchers will use Ford\u2019s MyFord mobile app that shows a real-time battery charge status and offers \u201cvalue charging,\u201d which automatically recharges at lower cost, off-peak electricity rates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUnderstanding driving and charging habits is key to advancing vehicle and charging infrastructure,\u201d said Georgia Tech Professor Bert Bras of the Sustainable Design \u0026amp; Manufacturing Laboratory in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. \u201cThrough access to vehicle data, we can accelerate research and development of new technologies to further improve efficiency, driver satisfaction and environmental benefits.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s findings will be shared with commercial customers to provide insights and help facilitate the deployment of electric vehicles in their own fleets amid a growing electric vehicle infrastructure that now includes more than 10,000 public charging stations across the country.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor GE, the purchase of the 2,000 Ford C-MAX Energi vehicles is another step in the company\u2019s commitment to converting half of its global fleet to alternative fuel vehicles as part of its commitment to \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ecomagination.com\u0022\u003Eecomagination\u003C\/a\u003E. The addition of the Ford vehicles brings the number of alternative fuel vehicles in GE\u2019s fleet to more than 5,000 toward its goal of 25,000 vehicles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are focused on providing our customers and our fleet with more economically and environmentally efficient vehicles,\u201d said Mark Vachon, GE vice president of ecomagination. \u201cThe Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid is a great addition to our expanding fleet of alternative fuel vehicles.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid provides a 21-mile electric-only range, a 108-mpg city EPA rating and a 620-mile single-tank driving range. GE will begin integrating the Ford C-Max Energi into its fleet this month.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFord is launching six new electrified vehicles \u2013 a big bet that fuel prices will continue rising and lead to more demand for advanced fuel-efficient vehicles,\u201d said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. \u201cWe are pleased to partner with GE, a company that is charting a similar course, to promote advanced technology and energy savings.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the collaboration, Ford will promote GE\u2019s WattStation\u2122 charging station and the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ecomagination.com\/portfolio\/cng-in-a-box\u0022\u003ECNG in a Box\u2122\u003C\/a\u003E natural gas fueling station with its commercial customers. Ford also will supply new alternative fuel vehicles for use at GE\u2019s Vehicle Innovation Center at the headquarters of GE\u2019s fleet management business in Eden Prairie, Minn.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Csub\u003EAbout Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/sub\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csub\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the world\u0027s premier research universities. Ranked seventh among U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u0027s top public universities, the Institute enrolls 21,000 students within its six colleges. Georgia Tech is the nation\u0027s leading producer of engineers as well as a leading producer of female and minority engineering Ph.D. graduates. Holding more than 780 patents and receiving approximately $570 million in sponsored awards, Georgia Tech ranks among the nation\u0027s top ten universities (without a medical school) in research expenditures. Visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\u0022 title=\u0022www.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ewww.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E for more information.\u003C\/sub\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csub\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout GE\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/sub\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Csub\u003E GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company\u0027s website at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ge.com\u0022\u003Ewww.ge.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/sub\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Csub\u003EAbout Ford Motor Company\u003C\/sub\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csub\u003EFord Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 168,000 employees and about 65 plants worldwide, the company\u2019s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/corporate.ford.com\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/corporate.ford.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/sub\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearchers from Georgia Tech are partnering with GE and Ford Motor Co. to study ways to add greater efficiencies to electric driving and charging performance.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers from Georgia Tech are partnering with GE and Ford Motor Co. to study ways to add greater efficiencies to electric driving and charging performance."}],"uid":"27462","created_gmt":"2012-11-21 15:11:55","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:14","author":"Liz Klipp","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-11-21T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-11-21T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"172751":{"id":"172751","type":"image","title":"Professor Bert Bras","body":null,"created":"1449178999","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:43:19","changed":"1475894814","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:54","alt":"Professor Bert Bras","file":{"fid":"195767","name":"bertbras.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bertbras_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bertbras_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1037875,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bertbras_0.jpg?itok=B_vhLXl6"}}},"media_ids":["172751"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/media.ford.com\/article_display.cfm?article_id=37415","title":"Ford Motor Co. press release"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.genewscenter.com\/Press-Releases\/GE-Ford-Collaborate-on-Alternative-Fuel-Vehicle-3c78.aspx","title":"GE press release"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"51151","name":"Ford Motor Co."},{"id":"4780","name":"GE"},{"id":"479","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"51171","name":"plug-in hybrids"},{"id":"51161","name":"Professor Bert Bras"},{"id":"2378","name":"Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["klipp@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}