Global Electric Motorcars

Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), a wholly owned subsidiary of Polaris Industries,^[1] is a U.S. manufacturer in the low-speed vehicle category, producing neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) since 1998, Low-speed vehicles (LSVs) since 2001, and has sold more than 50,000 GEM battery-electric vehicles worldwide as of October 2015.^[2] GEM was formerly owned by Chrysler.

History

A GEM eLXD used by a street food vendor at the National Mall, Washington, D.C.

The company was founded in 1992 by a team of ex-General Motors engineers from Livonia, Michigan, under the name Trans2.

The company was purchased by a group of North Dakota investors and was moved to Fargo, North Dakota. Global Electric Motorcars manufactured its first vehicle in April 1998, a 48-volt GEM car that accommodated two passengers and had a top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h). Less than two months later, a significant breakthrough occurred in the market as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) designated a new class of motor vehicle, the low-speed vehicle, also known as the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV). The low-speed vehicle class allowed GEM cars to be driven on public roads if they met certain safety criteria such as having safety belts, headlamps, windshield wipers, and safety glass. GEM cars always come equipped with these safety features, making them a benchmark in the industry.

GEM battery-electric vehicles are street legal in nearly all 50 US states on public roads posted at 35 mph (56 km/h) or less. With a top speed of 25 mph (40 km/h) GEM cars have a range of 30–100 miles (50–160 km) on a charge depending on the installed battery technology. They are battery-electric, operate on a 72-volt battery system and plug into a standard 3-prong 120-volt outlet for recharging, and fully recharge in six to eight hours.

There are currently six different models of GEM cars available primarily suited for intra-city use. GEM cars are used by local, state and national government agencies, resorts, master-planned communities, universities, medical and corporate campuses, as well as by sports teams, taxi-shuttle services and individual consumers.

Vehicles

As of October 2015, the GEM neighborhood electric vehicle is the market leader in North America, with global sales of more than 50,000 units since 1998.^[2]

• Passenger Vehicles:
  • GEM e2 LSV — A two-passenger vehicle
  • GEM e4 LSV — A four-passenger vehicle
  • GEM e6 LSV — A six-passenger vehicle
• Utility Vehicles:
  • GEM eLXD LSV— A heavier duty version of the GEM with a 70 in × 48 in (1,780 mm × 1,220 mm) bed, which comes in several different configurations, and a 1,100 lb (500 kg) cargo capacity.
  • GEM eM1400 LSV— A heavy duty GEM based on the Polaris ranger with a 51 in × 42 in (1,295 mm × 1,065 mm) bed with a 1,400 lb (635 kg) payload capacity.

Gallery

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to GEM vehicles.

External links

• GemCar official page