Electric car zaps need for gas

You may have seen her zapping around town in her eye-catching yellow and white vehicle which looks like a golf cart on steroids.

But Anna Wright loves her electric car, the GEM e2.

In the year Wright has owned the car, she estimates she's spent $17.50 to run 700 miles and saved about $65.

"Everywhere I go, people stop me ask me about it," Wright said, adding that she's asked the company for brochures to hand out; however, the company only provides a digital brochure.

The GEM, short for Global Electric Motorcars, comes in six models to seat two, four or six passengers. Wright said she and her husband researched several electric vehicles but settled on the GEM because it's an American-made product.

GEM, a Chrysler company, has been in operation for 10 years and is based in Fargo, N.D.

When shopping, Wright chose a base model and paid extra for things like a locking cargo carrier, a dash-mounted fan ... and doors. She said doors are extra because many GEMs are used like golf carts or maintenance vehicles and don't need doors. When all was totaled, Wright paid about $13,000 for her GEM - and she didn't even have to leave home.

The vehicle was purchased online from Liberty Dodge in Grass Valley, Calif. and custom ordered from the factory. The small car was delivered three weeks later to her house last August.

"It needs no gas, it never needs a tune up, an oil change or even antifreeze. It just has to be plugged in," Wright said.

It takes about five hours to completely charge the car from a standard 110-volt outlet and will travel 25 to 40 miles on a charge, depending on the weight load and outside temperature.

The vehicle is classified as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle which makes it street legal at speeds up to 25 miler per hour - it's top speed. It has no airbags or heavy steel roll cage, so a governor keeps the maximum speed to 25 mph.

Wright recommended the GEM as a secondary vehicle because most people still need to drive farther, and faster, than the GEM will allow.

"You don't need two gas guzzlers," Wright said.

With big, wide doors, the GEM is easy to enter. Inside, it's a bare bones vehicle with limited leg room. But the most noticeable difference is the sound - or complete lack thereof. When the key is turned, the vehicle remains silent. On the road, the GEM quickly reaches its top speed and holds it.

Joe Benerakis, GEM sales specialist at Liberty Dodge, said he's seeing a lot of interest in the car, but people are shying away from purchasing because of sticker shock. He is also working with his local banks to provide financing because most financial institutions don't finance the GEM.

The base model two-passenger e2 GEM runs $6,795, the four-passenger e4 costs about $10,000 and the six-passenger e6 will run $12,000. There is a $945 shipping and handling fee and a $200 drop fee for every vehicle sold.

The GEM is not available in Fallon, but local dealerships are seeing brisk sales for hybrids. Fallon Auto Mall sales manager Jim Nix said customers wanting a hybrid will have to wait about two weeks for a vehicle because demand is so high now.

Hybrid models available at Fallon Auto Mall include the Toyota Prius, Camry and Highlander, the Ford Escape and the Mercury Mariner.

At Jetway Chevrolet, hybrids available include the Chevy Tahoe, Malibu and Silverado.

For more information on the GEM, visit www.gemcar.com. Visit Liberty Dodge online at www.libertydodgechrysler.com, or call them at (530) 477-5454.