Global Electric Motorcars

Last updated
Global Electric Motorcars (GEM)
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Automobile
Founded1992;32 years ago (1992)
Headquarters,
Area served
Global
ProductsSmall vehicles, NEVs, LSVs
Parent Waev
Website gem.polaris.com

Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) is an American manufacturer specializing in low-speed vehicles, specifically neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) since 1998 and low-speed vehicles (LSVs) since 2001. By October 2015 [1] the company had sold over 50,000 GEM battery-electric vehicles worldwide. Originally owned by Chrysler, GEM was acquired by Polaris Inc. in 2011. In January 2022, it became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Waev. [2]

Contents

History

A GEM eLXD used by a street food vendor at the National Mall, Washington, D.C. GEM eLXD electric 5314 DC 03 2009.jpg
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 relocated to Fargo, North Dakota. Global Electric Motorcars manufactured its first vehicle in April 1998, a 48-volt GEM car designed for two passengers with a top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h). Shortly after, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) established a new class of motor vehicles, the low-speed vehicle (LSV), also known as the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV). This classification allowed GEM cars to be driven on public roads, provided they met specific safety criteria such as having safety belts, headlamps, windshield wipers, and safety glass.

GEM battery-electric vehicles are street legal in nearly all 50 US states on public roads with speed limits of 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 single charge, depending on the installed battery technology. They are battery-electric, operating on a 72-volt battery system that can be plugged into a standard 3-prong 120-volt outlet for recharging, and they fully recharge in six to eight hours.

Currently, there are six different models of GEM cars available, primarily suited for intra-city use. GEM cars are utilized 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 the general public.

Timeline

Vehicles

As of October 2015, the GEM neighbourhood electric vehicle is the market leader in North America, with global sales of more than 50,000 units since 1998. [1]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Low-speed vehicle</span> Vehicle with low maximum capable speed

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Motors EV1</span> Short-lived lease-only late 1990s U.S. electric car

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plug-in electric vehicle</span> Type of vehicle

A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity to store electrical energy within its onboard rechargeable battery packs, to power an electric motor and help propelling the wheels. PEV is a subset of electric vehicles, and includes all-electric/battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Sales of the first series production plug-in electric vehicles began in December 2008 with the introduction of the plug-in hybrid BYD F3DM, and then with the all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV in July 2009, but global retail sales only gained traction after the introduction of the mass production all-electric Nissan Leaf and the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt in December 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plug-in electric vehicles in the United States</span> Overview of plug-in electric vehicles in the US

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References

  1. 1 2 Stephen Edelstein (2015-11-03). "Polaris Updates GEM Low-Speed Electric Vehicles". Green Car Reports. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  2. "Waev Inc. Completes Purchase of GEM and Taylor-Dunn Businesses". commercial.polaris.com. US: Polaris Inc. Retrieved 2022-03-02.