The Gem Electric Car

For several years we keep hearing that electric cars will be "the next big thing" many times in the past, clean, no carbon emissions, quiet and eco-friendly, why shouldn’t they be the next big thing? In 1980, executives at General Motors were predicting that by 1990, fully 10% of GM’s product lines would be powered by electric power? To their credit, ten years later, GM built a state-of-the-art electric car, It was called the EV-1, and met the mandates of CARB (California Air Resources Board). For several mysterious (conspiratorial?) reasons, they literally destroyed the EV-1, allowing only a a couple to survive in places such as the Peterson Museum in Los Angeles.

Now we have the GEM, which stands for Global Electric Motorcars, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chrysler Group LLC

Upon a quick look the GEM may look like a upscale golf cart but once you investigate a little further into the GEM car you begin to realize that it has much more to offer. You can configure the GEM many different ways. You can even get a GEM with a pickup truck style bed, police and security light bars, radios They can seat from 2 to 6 people, can be in a multitude of functions and require no gas or oil to operate. Most people use their GEM for getting around the neighborhood, perhaps the local grocery store. Whatever you may need your GEM, this vehicle will probably have an available option for it.

The GEM is available in six different models, GEMs are commonly known as neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) that are street legal in most states and on public roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less. Their top speed is 25 mph and they have a range of up to 30 miles per charge. List prices start at $6,795. These cars are perfect for a zippy ride around industrial complexes, around the local neighborhood, housing complexes or college campuses.

To date, GEM cars have been driven more than 350 million emission-free miles, and have saved more than 16 million gallons of gasoline. They also have prevented more than 180 tons of ozone-producing pollutants from reaching the air.

If you have been interested, now is the best time to look into buying a GEM. GEM battery-electric vehicle models have been certified to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). So you can get a subastantial tax credit under the "Qualified Plug-In Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Credit, part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008" For example, a GEM e2 model retailing $7,395 may only cost $3,644 after the tax credit is applied.

These vehicles are American Made in North Dakota and the GEM cars are the only vehicles in their class to undergo the rigorous testing of other full-function vehicles at the Chrysler Automotive Proving Grounds.

These are amazing little cars, and if you are a golfer, these are the Cadillac’s of the golf course. If you have never rode or driven one and are given the opportunity, I recommend you give it a try as these are extremely fun to drive.