Chrysler Unplugged: Zero Emissions

Polaris Industries, a lead recreational and utility product builder of snowmobiles as well as ATVs, has entered into an agreement with Chrysler Group to take over GEM by the end of June. No financial terms of the deal have been announced by either Chrysler, Polaris or Global Electric Motorcars Created in 1998, GEM has built over 45,000 examples sold under the NHTSA classification as low-speed vehicles. Street legal vehicles traveling at maximum speeds up to 25 miles per hour, the GEM product line-up spans from a pickup-like utility model to a 6-passenger commuter. While their cars appear like glorified golf carts, seat belts, headlights and windshield wipers are built into GEM vehicles allowing travel on most roads with a posted speed limit under 35 miles per hour.

Limited not only in velocity, these vehicles obtain only about 30 miles on a single battery charge. A difficult vehicle to accommodate to modern American driving habits relegates the GEM name to well within city centers or campus-like environments. A shining moment for the GEM brand was the deployment of 30 vehicles at the St Petersburg, Russia G8 world conference in 2006. It is unclear what steps Polaris will take once purchasing Global Electric Motorcars. Presently, Polaris already produces a neighbourhood vehicle called the Breeze.