GEM battery electric: neighborhood friendly and 30 mile range

By Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 9:31 a.m.

The GEM e2 seats two occupants with bench-style seating using molded-foam cushions covered by marine grade UV-stable vinyl coverings.

Body style: 2-, 4- and 6-seat passenger models; 3 utility models

Powertrain: heavy-duty DC motor with continuous 5 hp and a 21-hp peak during acceleration and hill climbing; six 12-volt battery pack (nine 8-volt gel pack on largest utility model); regenerative braking

Transmission: single speed gear reducer with an integrated differential

Top speed: 25mph

Charging time: 6 to 8 hours with onboard, 72-volt DC charger that plugs into a standard 110-volt AC 15-amp household outlet

Length: 99 to 162 in.

Wheelbase: 72 to 133 in.

Payload: 710 to 1,380 lbs (including options, passengers and cargo)

Curb weight: 1,140 to 1,620 lbs.

Safety features: quartz-halogen headlights, turn signals, rearview mirror and side mirrors, 3-point seat belts, high-mounted rear brake and taillights, laminated and tinted automotive safety glass with a windshield wiper.

Base pricing: $8,440 to $14,380, including freight charges

Warranty: 1 year

Where assembled: Fargo, North Dakota

Info: Gemcar.com

The GEM Neighborhood Electric Vehicle may look like a customized golf cart, but its automotive-grade engineering (and testing) is the big separator.

These battery-electric vehicles by the Global Electric Motorcar Co., a division of Chrysler LLC, are built with welded aluminum space frames, A-arm front independent suspension with coil springs over shock absorbers, carlike rack-and-pinion steering, automotive-style hydraulic brakes and a parking brake.

They also have such safety features as 12-inch street-rated tires, quartz-halogen headlights, turn signals, a rearview mirror and side mirrors, three-point seat belts, high-mount rear brake and taillights, and laminated, tinted automotive safety glass with a windshield wiper.

The front-drive GEMs, sold in six body styles, have a driving range of 30 to 35 miles fully loaded. The electric drive is by a heavy-duty DC motor with continuous 5 horsepower with a 21-hp reserve for acceleration and hill climbing.

Sold in 2-, 4- and 6-seat passenger models, starting prices range from $8,440 to $14,380, including freight charges. Three two-seat utility models with short, long and extra-long bed lengths range in price from $9,610 to $12,670. A federal 10 percent discount (up to $2,500) is available through Dec. 31. And California Clean Vehicle Rebates ranging from $1,000 and $1,350 are available on most models.

Options include a 7-hp Performance Package, $525, and Convenience package, $200, which adds an accessory outlet, grab handles, mud flaps and scuff guards. There’s a radio-CD-MP3 audio system, $710, and fast chargers, starting at $3,340. The fast charger will bring six 12-volt batteries up to 80 percent state of charge within 2 to 4 hours and a full charge in 4 to 8 hours, depending on the size of the batteries used.

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Electric vehicle app to curb 'range anxiety'

Duncan Graham-Rowe, contributor

(Image: Andy Lauwers/Rex Features)

Driving an electric vehicle (EV) can be an unnerving experience, especially when you suddenly realise that the range on the battery indicator is the maximum, not the minimum, and that you just might not make it to the next recharging point.

But now such "range anxiety" can be avoided, or at least alleviated, by a new iPhone app. By letting EV drivers share their recharging stations and displaying them on an onscreen map, PlugShare creates a community-driven network of charging points that are free to use.

According to Xatori in Palo Alto, California, which developed the app, most people will probably continue to charge their cars at home, and rarely exceed the range of their vehicle. But on occasion, such as when they veer off their usual routes, range anxiety can creep in.

One reason for this is that the range given by EVs usually represents ideal driving conditions. That means that it can fail to take into account additional battery drain caused by using the radio, headlights or air conditioning, or even just the electric windows. And sometimes, such as on a highway, it's not just inconvenient but downright dangerous to drive at an optimum speed of 55 kilometres per hour.

Given the relative scarcity of public charging points, which PlugShare also displays, the new app reduces the chances of getting caught short. One thing it can't do, however, is tell you whether anyone is in to let you use the socket.

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Are Extended Range Electric Vehicles the Way to Go?

Extended Range Electric Vehicles (EREVs), or Range Extended Electric Vehicles (REEVs) like the Chevy Volt, may be the up-and-coming, but are they the answer in the high-efficiency vehicle race?

The Challenge: Find an alternative fuel vehicle that is cost effective and efficient.

The Contenders: the fully electric vehicle (EV) and the plug-in hybrid (PHEV).

The Problem: traditional EVs have a limited range, usually 100 miles or less, requiring extensive highway and city infrastructure to support longer trips.

The Solution: Integrate another fuel source to supplement and extend the range of the EV.

The Caveat: The need for additional infrastructure for the supplemental fuel source.

Obviously the infrastructure for gasoline as a fuel source is already established, so that is the logical choice. However, while the gasoline-based PHEV may reduce consumption, it doesn't eliminate the use of polluting, petroleum based substances. You'll notice that I am not even discussing typical hybrids, because, as I have said in other articles, they are not an alternative fuel vehicle. They run on gasoline only. You can't supplement them with any other form of energy. They merely use the electric drive system to reduce fuel consumption (which is, incidentally, a testament to the fact that electric motors are highly efficient). Thus the rising popularity of enthusiasts who convert their Prius' into PHEVs. Therefore, the PHEV seems a good intermediate solution to weaning us from the oil companies. But it comes at a price. While retail prices have not been released, most experts are anticipating plug-in hybrids to cost between $30,000 and $40,000. You can add a Hymotion plug-in kit to your Prius today for around $10,000.

The electric hydrogen hybrid seems a good candidate for extending range. Hydrogen cell vehicles use an electo-chemical reaction within the fuel cell as the hydrogen is mixed with oxygen to make water to create a powerful electrical current. However, most hydrogen fuel cell vehicles being produced and slated for production use only the single fuel source, requiring a hydrogen infrastructure to support them. It has been shown that hydrogen can be easily produced with domestic sources, but fueling stations must be implemented or they will run up against the same problem as the EV - short range travel only -- albeit a bit longer than the EV (200 miles or more). Even to make a plug-in hydrogen vehicle wouldn't address the range/infrastructure problem. But it would make it more versatile.

There are a myriad of other combustible fluids that could be used as an alternative fuel source. Some examples: compressed natural gas (CNG), Propane (LPG), ethanol, methanol (and all the other 'anols), ammonia -- keeping in mind that hydrogen is also a carrier for combustible fuel and a usable supplement when mixed with one of these other sources, making it a diverse flex-fuel and fuel-efficiency option as well. Each has their own advantages and drawbacks. When each solution is considered against public goals of pollution control, independence from foreign oil and improving domestic economy, each of them ranks differently for each goal. Alternative fuels are the future. It's not a question of "if," it's a question of "when." Which car you will be driving in the next 10 years will likely come down to regional availability of fuels and which option your community and region embraces.

But electric cars have a universal advantage: Electricity is everywhere. There is already an infrastructure in place that is easily accessible at small capacity and requires only the "fueling" facilities and the "quick-charge" technology to scale up to larger capacity. Granted, you can't take a cross-country trip in your electric car today. But tomorrow is approaching faster than you think. The initiatives are already in place in many states to launch the infrastructure that can handle larger capacity electric driving. As it catches on, it is only going to be a matter of time before you can drive across country in your EV.

Buy a PHEV if you must, but first consider the alternative: convert a car to electric for short range driving and keep a gas or diesel powered vehicle for longer trips. Or, even rent a vehicle for longer trips. That's something you can do today, and then you will be a step ahead of tomorrow.

"To reduce oil dependence, nothing would do more good more quickly than making cars that could connect to the electric grid." - David Sandalow, U.S. Department of Energy.

Technical specialist, Do-it-yourself-er and writer, J.D. Kennedy offers down-to-earth reviews and suggestions for everyday alternative energy products, books and DIY guides at http://www.CleanEnergySolutionZ.com. New posts are constantly being added, so check back regularly or subscribe.

If you want to get a jump start on converting your car, truck or SUV to electric, the most up-to-date EV conversion book was written by Gavin Shoebridge, the New Zealander who converted his own car from scratch with no prior experience and posted it on YouTube. You can read the EV book review on my web site, or if you are serious about moving forward, you can go ahead and try Electric Conversion Made Easy [http://www.EV-Secrets.info/] .