GE Transportation Completes the First Production Test of its New GE Evolution Series Tier 4 Engine

GE Transportation completed the first production test of its GE Evolution Series Tier 4 engine. This production test evaluates the performance, emissions and mechanical properties of the engine. This is the first engine to go through the newly built test cell in Grove City and will be sent to one of GE’s locomotive assembly facilities to be installed into a GE Evolution Series Tier 4 locomotive.

“We are committed to delivering Evolution Series Tier 4 locomotives to our customers. We’ve already manufactured 27 engines and the completion of this test is a major step forward in our Tier 4 journey. Through the efforts of the GE team in Grove City, we’ll be able to validate the test cell and the production process and make improvements to our overall plan,” said Tina Donikowski, VP of GE Locomotives, Marine, and Stationary & Drill.

The Grove City facility serves the global transportation industry in building new and remanufactured diesel engines for locomotives as well as for marine and stationary power applications. With a total production of approximately 3,000+ engines a year, it is one of the largest locomotive diesel engine manufacturing sites in the world.

GE began building Evolution Series engines in 2003. These engines were designed to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Tier 2 locomotive emission standards. This newest engine meets the EPA’s Tier 4 locomotive emissions standards, which took effect on January 1st, 2015. GE Transportation was able to meet Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Particulate Matter (PM) emissions reductions by at least 70% from Tier 3 emission standards. The new test cell, built specifically for the Tier 4 engine, is equipped to improve technology and tooling that test for performance and Tier 4 emissions levels.

The development of the Evolution Series Tier 4 engine was part of the larger $600 million investment made in the Evolution Series platform. GE was able to create an engine that required no after-treatment to meet the emission targets. GE Transportation leveraged other GE business units to develop elements of the Tier 4 engine including the power assembly, exhaust gas recirculation, common rail fuel system and turbocharger.

GE has been operating in Grove City for over 42 years. Over the past four years, GE has invested $130 million in the facilities in Grove City to support remanufacturing and the Tier 4 engine. As part of that total, $20 million was spent to improve the machines, testing and equipment for this specific line. This investment has created over 400 new jobs. In total, Grove City has over 1,200 employees, who work across two manufacturing plants.

GE Transportation
At GE Transportation, we’re in the business of realizing potential. We’re a global technology leader and supplier to the rail, mining, marine, stationary power and drilling industries. Our innovations help customers deliver goods and services with greater speed and greater savings using our advanced manufacturing techniques and connected machines. Established more than a century ago, GE Transportation is a division of the General Electric Company that began as a pioneer in passenger and freight locomotives. That innovative spirit still drives GE Transportation today. It’s the engine of change that puts us at the forefront of innovation and technology, where we continue to realize new potential and keep our connected world moving forward. GE Transportation is headquartered in Chicago, IL, and employs approximately 12,000 employees worldwide. For more information, visit getransportation.com.