Global Electric Motorcars
American electric vehicle manufacturer
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1992; 32 years ago (1992) |
| Headquarters | Medina, Minnesota , United States |
Area served | Global |
| Products | Small vehicles, NEVs, LSVs |
| Parent | Waev |
| Website | gem.polaris.com |
Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) is an American manufacturer specializing in 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]
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 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).[3] 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.[4]
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.[4] 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,[4] 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.[5]
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
- 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
- August 2014
- GEM receives first minor refresh under new owners Polaris
- GEM eM1400 utility vehicle first produced
- October 2015
- GEM eM1400 LSV first produced
- October 2016
- GEM launches full redesign of e2, e4, e6, & eL XD models including lithium-ion battery offerings
Vehicles
As of October 2015[update], the GEM neighborhood electric vehicle is the market leader in North America, with global sales of more than 50,000 units since 1998.[1]
- 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 eL XD 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
- ^ a b Stephen Edelstein (2015-11-03). "Polaris Updates GEM Low-Speed Electric Vehicles". Green Car Reports. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
- ^ "Waev Inc. Completes Purchase of GEM and Taylor-Dunn Businesses". commercial.polaris.com. US: Polaris Inc. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
- ^ "Federal Register :: Request Access". unblock.federalregister.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
- ^ a b c "Low-Speed Vehicles - GEM LSV". GEM - Electric Vehicles. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
- ^ "About GEM". GEM - Electric Vehicles. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to GEM vehicles.
