Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), a wholly owned subsidiary of Polaris Industries, 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. GEM was formerly owned by Chrysler.
History
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 20Â mph (32Â 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 30â€"100 miles (50â€"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.
Timeline
- April 1998
- First GEM car produced in Fargo, North Dakota
- October 1998
- GEM eL first produced
- November 1998
- GEM eS first produced
- December 1998
- GEM e4 first produced
- December 2000
- DaimlerChrysler Corporation acquires Global Electric Motorcars, LLC
- March 2004
- 2005 models begin production
- June 2005
- Global Electric Motorcars receives its ISO 9001 Certification
- January 2006
- GEM has 150 dealers
- April 2006
- GEM e6 first produced
- September 2006
- December 2007
- Global Electric Motorcars celebrates its 10th Anniversary
- GEM eL XD first produced
- June 2009
- Global Electric Motorcars remains a wholly owned subsidiary of Chrysler Group LLC
- June 2010
- Global Electric Motorcars introduces the new Right Hand Drive GEM electric vehicle
- July 2011
- Global Electric Motorcars is sold to Polaris
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.
- Passenger Vehicles:
- GEM e2 NEV â€" A two-passenger vehicle
- GEM e4 NEV â€" A four-passenger vehicle
- GEM e6 NEV â€" A six-passenger vehicle
- Utility Vehicles:
- GEM eS NEV â€" A two-passenger vehicle with a 39 in × 48 in (990 mm × 1,220 mm) flat bed with and a 330 lb (150 kg) cargo capacity.
- GEM eL NEV â€" A two-passenger vehicle with a 70 in × 48 in (1,780 mm × 1,220 mm) flat bed with and a 700 lb (320 kg) cargo capacity.
- GEM eL XD NEVâ€" A heavier duty version of the GEM eL with a 70 in × 48 in (1,780 mm × 1,220 mm) flat bed with and a 1,100 lb (500 kg) cargo capacity.
Gallery
Similar vehicles
- Melex
References
External links
- GemCar official page