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.
