We drive our 2005 GEM all around our small town. We put a “Fear This” sticker across the top of the windshield. While most people think it’s cool there are a few that have different reactions. We had one guy drive by a week or so ago and yell “Blank you buddy”. Now the buddy part softened it a bit, but people are threatened by anyone doing anything different than anyone else around here. Just wondering if anyone else has had similar reactions to driving around in a very different vehicle?
Revi… I guess for every action there is a reaction… I travel the streets in and around Denver… for the most part I get smiles… waves… the thumbs up… rearely a honk or someone trying to push me along… I have a sticker that says 25mph on the back window… have just added my Plug in America decals to both front and rear windows… my top speed is 27-28 with the bigger tires and I stay on side streets or four lane streets where I can be passed on the left… on two lane streets if I get more than about 3 cars behind me… I pull over and let them pass where I can safely if I am coming to a hill and we have a bunch here I may wait for a real break in traffic before starting up and make a note NOT to travel that way again
Colorado just showed the stupidity of the Government and now allows LSV/NEV travel on a 40mph street but no provision to let us go faster… who makes this stuff up?
Bob
I still have yet to see one of those in my area. I want one for going too and from work, but unfortunately I have to go to the city a lot for work and i need to be able to drive on the highway.
FEUS they do have limits… for me I love it… being retired I don’t go more than to the barber… doctor… shopping… coffee… just for drives… if the weather is like today 40… snow and just kinda crappy… I either stay home or drive my ‘big boy car’ a prius with heat and real doors… there is always the Wheego for an electric car for a little under $20,000… they go in the 90 mile range and can get up to hiway speed… for a lot less than the big 3 cars… they also still make the Whip… an NEV that can is a Smart Car looking knock off that can be easely sped up with a computer program… think they are $33 to 15 thou… you just have to find a dealer… also the Wildfire… they have a pickup on the website… not sure if they are still around…
Wildfire Motors - Electric Cars
Bob
[QUOTE=eS GEM Colo;12852]FEUS they do have limits… for me I love it… being retired I don’t go more than to the barber… doctor… shopping… coffee… just for drives… if the weather is like today 40… snow and just kinda crappy… I either stay home or drive my ‘big boy car’ a prius with heat and real doors… there is always the Wheego for an electric car for a little under $20,000… they go in the 90 mile range and can get up to hiway speed… for a lot less than the big 3 cars… they also still make the Whip… an NEV that can is a Smart Car looking knock off that can be easely sped up with a computer program… think they are $33 to 15 thou… you just have to find a dealer… also the Wildfire… they have a pickup on the website… not sure if they are still around…
Wildfire Motors - Electric Cars
Bob[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the suggestions! I’ll check some of those out. Never know might find something that I can use.
[QUOTE=FEUS;12853]Thanks for the suggestions! I’ll check some of those out. Never know might find something that I can use.[/QUOTE]
FEUS… make sure there are dealers or a suport line for any car you buy unless you understand all that goes into keep a car on the road… I have a friend who has a LIDO and no manual… the Lido was an Ioccocca (sp) company that followed the GEM car idea… it was cute but didn’t get the same following… now he needs a repair manual and has no place to find one…
Bob
There are many GEMs in Baltimore. Most are institutional vehicles used by the police and security companies, colleges such as mine, hospitals and the occasional street vendor.
Daniel
It seems to me that it makes a lot of sense to drive around in a small electric car, and the Gem has a lot of support now that it is being handled by Polaris dealers. It will be easy to find a place to get parts and service. We even have a guy in our town who can fix our car now. I think service is the key to having more of these electric cars around. I think they will catch on as keeping an internal combustion engine becomes more and more expensive. Change happens slowly.
I am asked so often about my car that I’ve met with the dealers in the area and I have printed a hand out that I carry with me… if a person has more than a casual interest in the car I give them my paper… on the back side is the list of GEM cars and prices… I may also give the person a salesman’s card and a GEM book with more information… note that I always am helping the reseller on CL and eBay as well as the dealer…
GEM CAR
Owner: Bob Andersen
303-810-6104
bobandersen251@hotmail.com
2005 GEM: model eS
Global Electric Motorcars (GEM cars) designed by a couple of GE engineers… have been built since 1996 and were a Chrysler subsidiary until June of 2011 and is now
a division of Polaris Industries Inc
Batteries: 6- 12 volt Maintenance-Free Gel Batteries
I have had my GEM since Fathers day 2011… GEM cars are few in Colorado… only 5 in the area that I know of… I found this car on Craigslist… eBay is also another place to find used GEMs
I’ve found that mine will go about 27 miles on a charge… it might go further… I’m not into pushing it… literally
I charge it after each drive… onboard charger shuts off after batteries charged… car plugs into a regular wall plug with a extension cord… I believe my GEM costs less than a dollar a day to keep charged…
Since I bought my GEM I’ve reupholstered the seats… doors cover the openings… larger tires… front turn signals… Battsix battery monitor
GEM cars in the area: Adam Luhrs 303-238-4303 *G-Force Powersports Lakewood… Gary Shaw 303-654-1940 *Johnson Auto Plaza in Brighton… Ken Holsworth at *Perkins Motors in Colorado Springs… also check with Mike Bunker 303-744-3494 Discount Golf Carts: used GEM cars from time to time… can get you in a street legal cart *dealerships have an inventory at last check
Thanks for your interest in my car… call or e-mail me anytime if you have questions
Wow the GEMs look really cool! How is the ride?
They ride pretty well Joe. They seem like a reasonable way to get around. They look like something out of a sci-fi movie. They are really fun to drive around and have great visibility. Plus they can beat almost everybody off of the light (people catch up quickly).
hi Solar welcome… I guess you get used to it… I laugh and say if the guy who deceides when streets should reserfaced drove one we’d have better streets in Denver… I guess it rides like a ‘golf cart’… you feel the small pot holes when they are just a manhole cover or a change from black top to concrete… I bought the eS (truckette) as it is a little heaver than the e2… my thinking is it doesn’t bounce as much… just my thinking as I haven’t driven any other GEM car
Bob
[QUOTE=Revi;12846]Just wondering if anyone else has had similar reactions to driving around in a very different vehicle?[/QUOTE]
Reactions here in Ashland, OR, are uniformly positive. At last count there were 18 Low Speed Electrics in the town of 20,000. We have no speed limits above 35, a mild climate and hydro power for 5c per kwh. In short, it is the ideal site. Locals have seen the NEVs enough to take them for granted, and the tourists (many) are fascinated; I can’t park my GEM 825/4 downtown without drawing at least one person who wants to talk about it. Last month at a stop sign a lovely young woman jumped into my car and asked, “where are you taking me?” We have a Ford Ranger, a Honda Accord and a Piper Arrow, but the GEM is my transportation of choice for nearly three years now. 
I really wish that they would make them under the same standards as mopeds so no highway’s and have them go up to 55mph ish
FEUS… if fishes was wishes… if you saw the suspention on the GEMs as well as the frame… I think you would rethink the 55 idea… maybe high 30’s… maybe if this was the 1950s when the world was a little slower… not today… I am a believer we should be able to go faster than the 25 when we are allowed on streets with a posted speed of 35 on here in CO we can be on 40mph streets… I do have a couple of 40mph streets that I venture on to but only for a couple of blocks and hold my breath and foot to the floor…
So Ashland… where did you take her? I have doors and don’t get the jump ins… before doors… I did talk to a couple of ladies at a Mickey D’s… when they left they went out and got in the car… there are days I wish I had a 4 seat GEM
Bob
[QUOTE=FEUS;12991]I really wish that they would make them under the same standards as mopeds so no highway’s and have them go up to 55mph ish[/QUOTE]
Typically motorized pedal bikes, aka, “mopeds” are limited to 30mph so you have your wish. 
Now if you meant “scooters” I have a Honda Helix 250cc that will top out at 72mph, but, while it is a step through scooter, it is considered a motorcycle in the eyes of the law and requires licensing as such.
The way I look at it here in NY, were lucky to have an NEV class at all!
[QUOTE=LuvMyTJ;12994]Typically motorized pedal bikes, aka, “mopeds” are limited to 30mph so you have your wish.
Now if you meant “scooters” I have a Honda Helix 250cc that will top out at 72mph, but, while it is a step through scooter, it is considered a motorcycle in the eyes of the law and requires licensing as such.
The way I look at it here in NY, were lucky to have an NEV class at all![/QUOTE]
Sorry, yes i mean scooter. I am OK with that as i currently have a license… so that is no issue to me, just i don’t see why we cannot drive it on localized roads at anything faster than crawling speeds.
I hear ya. 40mph is a perfect limit in my estimation.
[QUOTE=eS GEM Colo;12993] where did you take her? I have doors and don’t get the jump ins… before doors…
Bob[/QUOTE]
Well, I have to admit I stammered a bit and finally came up with: “…home to the wife?” She replied, “well, won’t that be a little awkward?”
I do love the car; as one of the other owners here in town says, “not a very good [U]only[/U] car, but I can’t understand why any family with two cars doesn’t own one of these”
There is a fair number of Nissan Leafs (Leaves?) here also, and I’ve been looking at that very closely. In the past year, I’ve taken exactly three trips which exceeded the range of the Leaf, and all those were by air. My wife’s Accord had better watch its step!