As we invest and grow throughout the U.S., it’s about becoming as competitive as any company and manufacturer in the world. In our plants and supply chain, we are in the midst of a sweeping digital transformation to help us to become the leading appliance company in the U.S. Driving that change is an entrepreneurial team that is exploring and partnering with leading companies to learn about new technology and how it can be implemented to improve our operations and create a more sustainable supply chain.

Over the past two weeks, we partnered with freight mobility technology company Einride to successfully complete the first public road pilot of a fully electric autonomous vehicle on U.S. public roads at our operations in Selmer, Tennessee. Working in close partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, state and county officials, and GE Appliances' staff, the Einride Pod conducted the safe movement of goods between GE Appliances’ manufacturing facility where we make high-end Monogram®, Café™ and GE Profile™ refrigerators and freezers and Zoneline® air conditioners, and our warehouse.

GE Appliances’ collaboration with Einride began in 2021. In October of 2021, we announced an electric, autonomous POD pilot at GE Appliances’ 750- acre company headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. This was the first autonomous and electric pod to operate in the U.S.

Earlier this year, we implemented our initial fleet of electric trucks from Einride in Kentucky and Georgia. The rollout will continue in Tennessee in November. The trucks will operate on short-run, high-frequency routes in our supply chain. The move will increase efficiency, reliability and lower the cost of moving manufacturing materials and components. The electric Einride trucks have a range of 200 miles per charge and will cover an estimated 125,000 miles annually – eliminating 210 tons of CO2 emissions within the first year.

“In order to lead, you have to think ahead and think differently,” said Harry Chase, Senior Director of Central Materials for GE Appliances. “Working with Einride on this pilot on public roads in Tennessee helped us better envision and understand what we need to do differently to be at the forefront of autonomous and EV implementation. At GE Appliances, we believe you need to continuously experiment with new technology in order to learn.”

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