GE’s new Evo locomotive: From Russia, with love

Show me ‘round your snow peaked mountain: The Evolution Series locomotive represents a $400 million investment by GE over eight years. It’s equipped with a 12-cylinder diesel engine that produces the same 4,400 horsepower as its 16-cylinder predecessor. The Evolution engine — which is one of GE’s ecomagination line of more energy efficient products — uses up to 5 percent less fuel, or approximately 1.1 million fewer liters of fuel over the life of the locomotive, while reducing emissions by approximately 40 percent.

GE’s locomotive on display at the Expo was designed from top to bottom using Russia’s state mandated technical standards and safety norms. GE’s wealth of experience gained from operating in winter in Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia enabled the team to also design a special extreme cold package for the Evolution that permits it to operate in the far north. It also helps the operator save costs by using fuel and lubricants that are already standard in the region. Importantly, one section of GE’s Evo locomotive can replace more than two sections of the older 2TE10 locomotives, which are the most numerous mainline diesel electric freight locomotive in the region.

GE’s Executive Product Director Kamal Shivpuri says “there is an acute demand for more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly locomotives in the region” and that “based upon preliminary data, the market size appears to be approximately $10 billion over the next 10 years.”

GE Transportation’s push in Russia is part of its broader strategy to prep for new market opportunities in a reset economy — whether it be in the area of advanced technology or in the growing demand for services. As Dow Jones Newswires noted in its recent interview with Lorenzo Simonelli, the head of GE’s transporation division: Although Lorenzo called the current economic environment for locomotives “tough,” “he remains optimistic longer term on the transportation sector and the railroad industry. He cited huge global infrastructure needs, as well as rail’s status as one of the most fuel-efficient transport modes.”

For example, GE Transportation and EuroMaint Rail recently announced an alliance to collaborate on rail services that will provide European rail customers with an unprecedented new level of service capabilities – which paves the way for an expansion of GE’s successful services business in Europe. And on the technology front, GE’s Trip Optimizer software is gaining notice with the way in which it’s helping Canadian Pacific — which has ordered the software packages for 200 locomotives — save fuel. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) recently aired the news segment, below, on the new technology.

* Read “GE’s fuel ‘autopilot’ software set for 200 locomotives” on GE Reports
* Learn more about GE’s display at the Russian Expo
* Learn about GE Energy’s new Russia service center
* Read “GE & Kazakhstan ink major rail service & plant deals” on GE Reports
* Read GE Reports’ story about its Evolution locomotive’s head-to-head fuel test
* Read “All aboard! Seattle’s light rail starts rolling with GE” on GE Reports
* Learn more about the Evolution series
* Learn about our Evolution Hybrid Locomotive
* Read about our newest model of the Evolution
* Watch a video of the Evolution being made and the 3,000th Evo dedication ceremony