It makes sense that a company called General Electric would be bullish on cars with cords. But even by that standard the company is diving into the deep end, with what it says will be the biggest order ever placed for electric vehicles.

Of course, almost any order would be the biggest order, but CEO Jeffrey Immelt isn’t screwing around. Speaking in London yesterday, he said GE will order “tens of thousands” of electric vehicles in about a week, a move that is sure to jump-start the nascent EV market as automakers like Nissan and General Motors bring the cars to showrooms later this year.

The plan makes sense for several reasons.

First and foremost, General Electric builds the equipment that provides one-third of the world’s electricity, so of course it will do everything possible to promote the technology. GE is moving quickly into the EV space, building charging stations and working with A123 Systems to develop batteries. According to Bloomberg, Immelt says about half of the company’s sales force of 45,000 employees will drive electric vehicles. That will go a long way toward raising public awareness of the technology. And don’t forget that GE Capital has a vehicle-leasing division.

“GE has been one of the biggest players in this game and certainly has a lot to gain from the electric vehicle,” Brett Smith, a vehicle technology analyst at the Center for Automotive Research, told Bloomberg. “They’ve really truly tried to push this hard to get things going, and it seems to be a core corporate value.”

Immelt didn’t specify a timeline for when the purchases would be made, nor did he identify which manufacturer(s) would receive the order. Smith told Bloomberg an order of that size would be filled by several companies. But our money is on Renault-Nissan getting the bulk of it.

Here’s why:

GE and Better Place recently announced a “technology and financing partnership” to develop public charging infrastructure and accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, especially by corporate fleets. Better Place, a Silicon Valley startup founded by Shai Agassi, plans to roll out charging infrastructure and battery-swap stations in Israel and elsewhere — and Renault is its partner in that endeavor.

Better Place and Renault signed a deal last year to put 100,000 EVs on the road in Israel and Denmark by 2016. Better Place also has been using converted Nissan Rogues to show off its battery-swap technology in Tokyo.

It’s worth noting that GE’s partnership with Better Place includes a plan to develop a mechanism for financing batteries — beginning with a pilot program to finance 10,000 batteries in Israel and Denmark. Who’s currently building the only car with a swappable battery? You guessed it — Renault. That car, the Fluence Z.E., is being tested in Israel.

General Electric and Nissan also are working together to develop so-called “smart charging.”

What’s more, Renault-Nissan is, at this point, the only company that looks like it could have the capacity to fill GE’s order. Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has made it clear he believes electrics are the future, and he is positioning the two automakers to lead the market.

Renault has at least three EVs in the works, and Ghosn has said it will have the capacity to build 200,000 EVs annually by 2015. Nissan’s Leaf arrives at the end of this year and will be followed by an electric Infiniti in 2013. Nissan says it has the capacity to build 50,000 Leafs worldwide next year and will increase that to 500,000 worldwide by the end of 2013.

This is all speculation, and there’s nothing to suggest GE won’t be buying some Chevrolet Volts or Ford Transit Connect Electric delivery vans or perhaps even some Codas or Teslas. But it looks like there are going to be a lot of electric Nissans and Renaults in GE parking lots before long.

And no matter how it works out, it’ll be an interesting play to watch.

Photo: Renault. The Renault Fluence Z.E. rolls in Paris.

Starting today, you can take part in history by placing your order for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. This moment is the culmination of several years of around-the-clock, steadfast work and I know I speak for the entire Volt team when I say we couldn’t be more excited!

For those of you looking to be among the first to own a Volt, simply locate and contact a participating Chevrolet dealer in Volt launch markets at GetMyVolt.com. Once your order is placed, a Volt customer advisor will contact you to answer questions and keep you updated on the progress of your order.

We’ve also pulled together a team of Volt advisors who, beginning today, will be available at 1-888-VOLT4YOU (1-888-865-8496) to answer general questions. The Volt will initially be available to customers in California, New York, Washington, D.C., Texas, Michigan Connecticut and New Jersey, but will be available nationwide in about 12-18 months from start of production this winter.

As far as the price, the Volt’s official MSRP is $41,000 – or $33,500 (including DFC) after the $7,500 U.S. Federal income tax credit. We are so confident in the resale value of the Volt, we will also offer a lease program with monthly payments as low as $350 (based on a 36-month term lease and $2,500 down), which also includes a lease-to-buy option.
Why are we so confident?

The Volt is an electric vehicle that gives you the freedom to drive wherever you want, whenever you want. With the Volt’s extended-range capability, you can drive electrically up to 340 miles on a full battery and tank of gas, with up to the first 40 miles powered by electricity from the grid. Plus, the Volt is an electric vehicle for all climates and seasons, comfortable in the freezing temperatures of the Northeast to the scorching temperatures of the deserts out West – we know, we’ve tested the Volt extensively in these conditions.

Plus, the Volt comes standard with an unprecedented battery warranty – eight years or 100,000 miles on all 161 battery components, the thermal management system, charging system and electric drive components. It will also be the first Chevrolet vehicle to offer, at no additional cost, five years of OnStar Directions and Connections service, which includes automatic crash response, stolen vehicle assistance and connected navigation.

And speaking of OnStar, the Volt gives you an unprecedented level of connectivity with the Chevrolet Connect mobile app by OnStar. This Volt mobile and web-based app will allow you to set the charge time, start your Volt, track mileage, unlock the doors and much more from your smart phone and even your home computer.

In fact, the personalized and connected ownership experience is just getting into full swing when you take delivery of your Volt because we’re creating a website designed specifically for Volt owners to collect diagnostic information as well as track and share your vehicle’s performance.

I could go on and on all day about all the benefits and premium features the Volt has to offer, such as screen-based navigation, an energy-efficient Bose premium sound system, Bluetooth for phone with phone book access and more, but then I would be keeping you from locating your dealer and placing your order. You can find more info at GetMyVolt.com.

It’s been a remarkable journey, and we’re confident you’ll be delighted with the outcome when you receive your Volt. The future is electric – we hope you’ll join us for the ride.

And make sure to join me here on Voltage later today for a video webchat from the show floor of Plug-In 2010 where Volt vehicle line director Tony Posawatz and I will answer your questions live at 4 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. PDT.

Leilani Munter encapsulates the ecoista’s dilemma: It’s all well and good to want to live sustainably until you work in an industry that doesn’t share your views. What are you supposed to do, quit your job?

Leilani takes this concept to an extreme most of us can’t even imagine. That’s because she is—if you haven’t already guessed from the photos—a racecar driver. Not just any racecar driver, mind you, Leilani has serious on-track cred. She’s the fourth woman in history to race in the Indy Pro Series. She set the record for the highest finish for a female driver in the history of the Texas Motor Speedway when she finished fourth in 2006. Sports Illustrated named her one of the top 10 female racecar drivers in the world.

The girl really can’t drive 55. More like 200.

But all that speed takes a serious environmental toll—and Leilani knows it. When we asked her what her eco-sin was she answered, “That’s easy: My racecar.”

Leilani also sees her profession as an opportunity to inspire positive change in the 100 million fans that make racing the number-one spectator sport in America. “If I was just another vegetarian, tree hugging, biology graduate asking people to give up meat and stop using plastic bags, I don’t know how many people would be listening to me,” Leilani told us. “But because I drive a racecar, I have an ability to reach a new audience of people that most environmentalists are probably not talking to.”

In addition to talking the talk with 100 million people, Leilani walks it: The longtime vegetarian and self-proclaimed “Carbon Free Girl” adopts an acre of rainforest for every race she runs. She regularly races in alternative fuel vehicles, like the Ford hydrogen fuel cell car she drove in last year’s VS Viking Rally in Norway. After the BP spill, she went down to help clean up—and produced an amazingly compelling video statement about what she found. And she’s the first Ambassador of the National Wildlife Federation.

But according to Leilani, “We don’t move the needle at all by talking to a bunch of people who already agree with us. The way we create change is by starting a dialogue with those who don’t.” With that idea in mind, she created a very visible on-track “Eco Dream Team” to promote her activism to fans.  And she repeatedly heads to Capitol Hill to speak on behalf of clean energy and climate change legislation—no choir there.

When did you start getting involved in eco-consciousness?

I grew up spending time in nature in Minnesota so as long as I can remember, I have been conscious of taking care of our environment and all the creatures that live here. As my racing career progressed, I realized that as a driver I had the ability to reach a large audience about the environmental challenges we are facing.

Photo by Douglas Murray

How important do you think these kinds of changes are for you, personally?

I’m just trying to do my part. At home we have an organic vegetable garden fueled by our compost, we have a rainwater collection system, solar and LED lighting. We do what we can to have as little impact as possible.

I think the more your eyes open up to your impact on the planet, the more overwhelming it gets because you start to realize the impact of everyone around you and ultimately, the more strict you become with your own behavior.

If I get to the grocery store and have forgotten my canvas bags at home, I’ll carry all my groceries out in my hands. I probably look ridiculous but I just can’t take a plastic bag anymore—even though I would recycle it, I feel too guilty to even take one home.

I realize that I’m just one person, but these small changes, multiplied by millions, can make a big difference.

Photo by Shawn Mahoney

Humans have been living on this planet as if there were no consequences to our actions, pouring millions of tons of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere every day, filling up landfills, polluting our oceans, destroying the rainforests.

The way we’ve been living is not sustainable and that has got to change.

But if we, the consumers, demand that these changes to take place, both on Capitol Hill and in corporate America, we can change things because we drive the market.

If we demand change from the people who make the products we buy, in part by only supporting companies that have sustainable practices, then the others will have no choice but to change.

Photo by Victoria Jacob

So speaking of supporting sustainable companies, what are your favorite green fashion labels?

I was thrilled that Natalie Portman came out with a vegan shoe line [Te Casan]. As a vegetarian that loves cool shoes, I love seeing moreleather free shoes out there. I also have three older sisters who pass along some beautiful hand me downs, so I guess you could say I wearrecycled fashion!

What your the favorite eco-friendly beauty finds?

Josie Maran has a great eco-friendly beauty line. I met Hannah Wood a couple of years ago; she has a great line of lip balm called Blabbermouth that I love to use. I also recently picked up some Eco Tools make up brushes. I really love seeing that more and more eco friendly options are being offered.

What’s the biggest green change you’d like to make in your life—even if it’s impossible right now?

Solar panels for my house. I’m also talking with different solar companies about a marketing partnership so I can promote solar to the racing community. I’d love to own and promote a high performance electric car like a Tesla or a Karma by Fisker. Like I always say, just because you’re green, doesn’t mean you can’t be fast!

Photo by Shawn Mahoney

What’s your favorite eco-friendly tip our readers should know about?

I want everyone to realize how much a choice at the dinner table can affect our environment. The single most important thing that you can do to help our planet is to cut back or, even better, give up eating meat.

Grazing animals produce methane, which is 21 times more heat trapping than CO2. A UN study found that 40 percent more greenhouse gas emissions come from raising the animals that we eat than all the world’s cars, SUVs, planes, trains, ships and all other forms of transportation.

Not to mention world hunger! If Americans alone reduced their meat consumption by just 10 percent, it would free up enough land to grow 12 million tons of grain – enough to save the six million children under the age of five that die every year as a result of hunger.

One acre of land can produce 165 pounds of beef—or 20,000 pounds of potatoes. And it takes 23 gallons of water to produce a pound of tomatoes; in comparison, it takes 5,214 gallons of water to produce just one pound of beef.

I know that not everyone reading this is going to become vegetarian, but I hope they will at least try to reduce their meat consumption, even if it’s just one day a week like meatless Monday!

Do it for the environment, do it for animal cruelty, and do it for world hunger. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “You have just dined, and however scrupulously the slaughterhouse is concealed in the graceful distance of miles, there is complicity.”

Photo by Crag Davidson, as is the lead photo

Who’s your eco-idol and why?

I have two eco-idols: Ric O’Barry and Louis Psihoyos. Their eco-thriller documentary “The Cove” has brought to attention not only to the plight of the dolphins in Japan, but also the very serious issues of overfishing and mercury contamination in our oceans. They were able to get these critical issues in front of a world audience and they did it in a very entertaining way.

It’s a thriller, it’s like a spy movie, but so much more intense because it’s real. These guys risked their lives to make this film. I think that in order to take a message mainstream it has to be entertaining, it has to captivate people and that’s hard to do. They did this brilliantly. I’ve had five screenings of the movie at my home in the last month and have another scheduled later this month. This film is so important; everyone needs to see it. I am getting DVDs of it for all my family and friends.

What’s your worst eco-sin?

That’s easy: My racecar. It’s part of my job so it’s unavoidable. But if I was just another vegetarian, tree hugging, biology graduate asking people to give up meat and stop using plastic bags, I don’t know how many people would be listening to me. But because I drive a racecar, I have an ability to reach a new audience of people that most environmentalists are probably not talking to. It gives me a platform to start a dialogue and ultimately create change.

What’s the best green advice you ever received—and who gave it to you?

To follow my heart. Both my parents believed in me, and they made it possible for me to believe in myself.

I had the pleasure of introducing Rep. Edward Markey for his opening keynote at the recent Executive Council Sustainable Cities leadership forum.

Markey has been at the forefront of the Congressional response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, is the co-author of the Waxman-Markey climate change bill, and author of the bill that increased auto mileage standards for the first time in three decades. The League of Conservation Voters calls him the environment’s best advocate in Congress.

Markey gave a fiery address about the need for the U.S. to become the leader in alternative energy. What I found interesting was his view that regulation can be a catalyst to those efforts. While many business leaders think that regulation in anathema to innovation, Markey disagrees. He pointed to his prior work on the Telecommunications Committee that shifted a segment of the broadcast spectrum into commercial use for cellular and other wireless communications. Without that regulatory move, the cell phone and broadband revolutions would have been greatly slowed or might never have happened at all.

The lesson is that the private and public sectors can be catalysts for each other. The private sector organizations pushing for adoption of a carbon cost bill (either a carbon tax or cap-and-trade) are hoping that it will spur another revolution. They are also, to be honest, hoping to seek regulatory advantage by getting a bill that aligns with their competitive position. Public players have their own interests, too. They are hoping to get jobs created in their districts, contributions from companies that do well as a result of the legislation, and have something to point to as accomplishment in the next election cycle.

Chevrolet is adding Texas, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to the launch markets for the Volt, Ed Whitacre, General Motors chairman and CEO, announced today.  Whitacre said the company is expanding the initial launch of the groundbreaking electric vehicle in response to intense interest in the Volt from customers across the country.

Today’s announcement brings the initial Volt retail markets to seven, including California, Michigan, and Washington, D.C.  The retail launch in Texas and New York will begin with Austin and New York City in late 2010.  The balance of Texas and New York, as well as New Jersey and Connecticut, are scheduled to begin receiving Volts in early 2011.

The Wall Street Journal is also reporting that General Motors Co. said today it will build 10,000 Chevrolet Volts in 2011 and another 30,000 in 2012, the first time the auto maker has outlined production plans for the battery-powered car. By 2012, GM expects to be selling Volts in every U.S. state.

more from CNNMoney.com staff writer David Goldman:

Tesla Motors will offer up its shares to the public for the first time on Tuesday, testing investors’ faith in a company that has proven it can make functional and stunning electric cars but has never had a profitable quarter.

PayPal founder Elon Musk’s seven-year old auto company lost $55.7 million last year and $260.7 million since its inception. The company has performed so poorly from a financial standpoint that Musk recently said he lost his entire personal fortune on Tesla.

But investors are giddy about the Palo Alto, Calif.-based automaker’s initial public offering, prompting Tesla on Monday to increase the number of shares it plans to offer by nearly a fifth to 13.3 million.

Tesla, which plans to trade on Nasdaq under the symbol “TSLA,” expects shares to be priced in a range of $14 to $16. That would allow Tesla to raise more than $185 million in the IPO and give it a market value of nearly $1.5 billion.

Much of the excitement is pegged to Tesla’s launch of the Model S, an electric sedan that the company says will sell for a minimum of $50,000 in 2012. That’s much more reasonable and practical for most consumers than the vehicle that Tesla currently sells, the $100,000 Roadster sports car.

The electric automaker plans to acquire a plant where it will produce 20,000 new Model S sedans each year starting in 2012. That’s a significant increase from the 1,063 Roadsters it has sold — total. But until 2012, Tesla said it will continue to pile up hefty losses.

read more at CNNMoney

For many consumers, going green still means paying more, but Joey Woodfin, president and chief executive officer of EverDrive LLC, a leading supplier of used auto parts, says that consumers are actually making the best decision for themselves and the environment when they purchase recycled parts for their vehicles or request their use at their repair shop.

In a recent report, the monthly Green Confidence Index noted that U. S. consumers indicated that price and performance are major roadblocks to purchasing more green products. “EverDrive has covered both those obstacles,” said Woodfin.

First, price. Used car parts are recycled and so they are Original Equipment Manufacturer parts, but they can cost up to 50 percent less than an OEM new part. Consumers can purchase EverDrive used auto parts online at www.everdrive.com, from any of EverDrive’s participating retailers or simply ask for an EverDrive part at their favorite repair shop. EverDrive pricing includes free shipping in the continental U. S. Purchasing a used part versus a new part can save the consumer a few hundred dollars or several thousand dollars in the case of a used transmission or used engine.

Second, performance. EverDrive used car parts undergo a rigorous certification process that enables the company to include at no cost to the consumer a three-year unlimited mileage warranty on all its parts, whether they are sold through a retailer or direct to the consumer.

“At the same time, we are helping consumers further conserve our nation’s resources,” said Woodfin. In an April 2010 report, the U. S. Department of Commerce, estimated that resource conservation accounted for approximately 29 percent of the nation’s green economy, based on 2007 economic census data. The Automotive Recyclers Association estimates that, by reducing the need to manufacture new OEM parts and thus use our limited natural resources, consumers who purchase OEM used auto parts, can help the recycling business save an estimated 85 million barrels of oil annually. Additional savings are realized in reductions of air and water pollution and solid waste generation.

The ads, produced for the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA), feature sequences of short phrases with facts about sugarcane ethanol delivered by Indy drivers, including Ryan Hunter-Reay, Ana Beatriz, Takuma Sato, Davey Hamilton, E.J. Viso and the pole sitter for Sunday’s race, Helio Castroneves, a three-time Indy 500 winner. Since last year, UNICA has provided 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol for the IndyCar Series.

“For the first time ever, we are taking our message about sugarcane ethanol to national network television during one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world,” said Joel Velasco, UNICA’s Chief Representative in North America. “These commercials seek to educate American consumers about sugarcane ethanol and how it can benefit their pockets, the environment and the market, by promoting competition on and off the track,” Velasco added.

The ads were produced especially for this year’s 99th edition of the Indy 500, the main event in the IndyCar season. The two 30-second spots will appear during the race telecast on Sunday, May 30, on the ABC television network. UNICA plans to continue running television ads throughout the season.

To view other commercials, click on “I Compete” and “Cuts Emissions” or visit www.sweeteralternative.com/indy.

Nissan today broke ground on the project that brings Nissan LEAF production to the United States. The groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of construction on a manufacturing facility in Smyrna, Tenn., that will produce the lithium-ion batteries that power the Nissan LEAF zero-emission vehicle. The all-electric Nissan LEAF will be produced at Nissan’s vehicle assembly facility in Smyrna beginning in 2012.

Nissan LEAF and battery production will create up to 1,300 jobs when the plants are operating at full capacity. The battery plant, one of the largest vehicle battery manufacturing plants in North America at 1.3 million square feet at full capacity, will be capable of producing 200,000 advanced-technology batteries annually. It will be located adjacent to the vehicle assembly plant, which will be retooled to accommodate production of Nissan LEAF and will be capable of producing 150,000 electric cars annually.

“Nissan is committed to affordable, sustainable mobility. What we’re doing here will radically transform the automotive experience for consumers. Today is a major step in helping create a green economy in the United States,” said Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. “Production of Nissan LEAF and lithium-ion batteries in Smyrna brings the United States closer to its goal of energy independence, creates green jobs and helps sustain American manufacturing. Nissan is a leader in global manufacturing innovation, and this state-of-the-art battery plant will strengthen that leadership.”

“Tennessee has become a national leader in driving clean energy innovation, and Nissan’s commitment to build this advanced-technology battery facility here in Tennessee is a key part of that success,” said Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. “Nissan’s investment in Tennessee began more than two decades ago, and this new manufacturing plant leads the way to the next generation of automotive and clean energy jobs in the Volunteer state.”

Combined, the construction of the battery plant and modification of the Smyrna manufacturing facility to accommodate Nissan LEAF production represents an investment of up to $1.7 billion, which initially is being supported by a U.S. Department of Energy loan for 80 percent of that investment, up to $1.4 billion.

The loan was issued as part of the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program, a $25 billion program authorized by Congress as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The program is designed to accelerate the development of vehicles and technologies that increase U.S. energy independence, create cleaner means of transportation and stimulate the American economy.

Approximately 13,000 U.S. consumers have placed a reservation for Nissan LEAF since reservations opened on April 20. The reservation process, which is open to the general public via NissanUSA.com, is the first step in securing a place on the list to purchase or lease Nissan LEAF. Nissan LEAF begins rolling out to select markets in the United States, Japan and Europe in December, with increased availability beginning in spring 2011, and full market rollout in 2012. It initially will be produced in Oppama, Japan, and will be equipped with lithium-ion batteries being produced in Zama, Japan. The Renault-Nissan Alliance will also produce lithium-ion batteries in Cacia, Portugal, and Sunderland, UK, as well as in Renault’s Flins plant in France.

In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive design, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing.  Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling.  More information on the Nissan LEAF and zero emissions can be found at www.nissanusa.com.