GEM cars: Since we're on the subject

Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) makes one of the few truly all-electric vehicles available today. I thought I would mention it in light of the discussion raging in Rick's post from yesterday. I have friends who own these and have actually driven one on multiple occasions. The question is how useful is it, really?

The GEM is classified as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle under Federal law. This means it doesn't have to have all of the safety features required of other cars, but is restricted to roads with a speed limit of 35 mph and has a top speed of it's own of only 25 mph. It plugs into a standard 110v electrical outlet and gets about 30 miles to the charge. I've noticed they are very popular with large universities who use them for their maintenance departments and security services. My friends who have these live in Palestine, Texas. It is a joy to drive and does a great job of shuttling them from their home to downtown and most locations nearby. They use it so much that I considered the car's appropriateness here in East Dallas.

My non-neighborhood friends refer to my neighborhood as my Bubble and are shocked when I venture out, say north of NW Highway. Yet there are many similarities to East Dallas and a town like Palestine.   I can see the GEM being ideal for going between my house in Hollywood to my office in Lakewood, or the Whole Foods (when it opens), or the cleaners or other neighborhood services that I use so often. It even looks like it might be a good idea if one frequented Lower Greenville after dark. Might be a lot of fun at White Rock on a pretty day. Clearly, it won't do to go much outside the Bubble.

Even within the Bubble I have concerns about that maximum 25 mph speed. Seems kind of slow for Abrams or Gaston, so I tried it out by voluntarily limiting my speed to 25 mph as I drove to the cleaners and  to 7-Eleven on my way to the office. I admit it was disappointing. I crossed the Monte Vista-Brookside bridge with no other cars anywhere in sight. Before I got half way to La Vista, I had two cars on my bumper. The speed limit was 30. It worked better going up Abrams because I was headed north and most of the traffic was headed south. Going towards downtown on Gaston worked well also as long as the lights were red. At the point that three of them went green all at the same time and all going in the same direction, the problem with the 25 mph limitation became apparent again.

My conclusion is that a 35 mph speed  would be much, much better here. I haven't give up on the idea, but would recommend that anyone wishing to try the GEM be ready for a lot of hand signal communication from other drivers.

Comments

[Matt Trostel]

I've thought about an NEV as well, but the 25mph restriction is too low to be very useful, especially for the price. The 2 and 4 seat GEM's start at $7k and $10k respectively with no heat or A/C, no doors, no stereo, etc. Now 40-50mph with the same 30 mile range would be much more useful. I'd think more seriously about a vehicle like that at the prices above. That's cheaper than a Yaris or a Fit which it needs to be with the drastically reduced amenities and performance. The payoff is, of course, no oil consumption or pollution in use. But a 40-50mph speed capability would bring up safety considerations that the NEV's aren't concerned with which would likely drive up the price.

I guess I'll be waiting for the Th!nk City, Mitsubishi iMiEV or Subaru R1e.

[Norman Alston]

Not sure I'd want to be in a GEM at 50.

Even so, does it make any sense to limit a GEM to 25 mph because it doesn't have 5mph bumpers and airbags but let a motorcycle's speed be unlimited without them?

[Matt Trostel]

Agree totally with the motorcycle analogy. Unfortunately, NEV's don't have the lobbying muscle the motorcycle industry does to minimize the restrictions.

Similarly, I bet the automakers would fight any rule changes that allow more capable NEV's. The last thing automakers want is more market dilution from a handful of EV makers.

[David]

Hey, let's leave motorcycles out of the discussion about electric cars. The analog does not work.

[Norman Alston]

Any why not?

[David]

First all you are confusing speed with safety. Going 25 MPH maximum is dangerous on most streets in east Dallas.

I use the same argument that the gun owners use, "Guns are not dangerous it's the people that use them". The same can be said about cars gas, electric, hydrogen, or nuclear (as in Back to the Future). They are not dangerous it's the people driving them. Same thing about motorcycles.

Most motorcycle riders know the dangers of riding a motorcycle and ride according. The ones that do not are quickly eliminated from the gene pool. Unfortunately this can not be said for people driving cars. The risks of getting hurt or eliminated from the gene pool for driving like an idiot keeps get lower because of all the advances in airbags and passive restraint systems.

The best thing we can do is to educate and re-educate drivers of all ages about how to drive. That would have be biggest impact on safety.

Oh, BTW. Honda does make a motor cycle with an airbag. http://world.honda.com/MotorcycleAirbag/

[Norman Alston]

I don't think I'm confusing anything. I didn't write nor do I support the regulations that require a 4 wheeled vehicle without airbags and 5mph bumpers to be limited to 25mph top speed and roads with a 35mph speed limit, yet permit a 3 wheeled vehicle (or a 2 wheeled) without airbags and 5mph bumpers to be unrestricted in speed or road use. It is this loophole that has created cars like the Zap Xebra shown here: http://www.zapworld.com/electric-vehicles/electric-cars/xebra-sedan

And it is these same regulations that make available, affordable, all-electric cars like the GEM all but impractical in the very places where they are needed the most; big cities like DFW that are having difficulty keeping their air quality within EPA limits.

[Matt Trostel]

Saw this today...

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080707/NEWS01/807070340/1006

Looks like some states are upping the speed restrictions placed on NEV's from 25mph to 35mph.