Frequently Asked Questions
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What is a GEM battery-electric vehicle? The GEM battery-electric vehicle, manufactured by Global Electric Motorcars, is the first multipurpose neighborhood electric vehicle available for sale from a major automaker in Canada. GEM cars are 100% plug-in battery-electric and are engineered to meet federal safety requirements for street-legal operation as a low-speed vehicle (LSV). Who is Electric Car BC? Electric Car British Columbia is the Western Canadian owned and operated distributorship for Global Electric Motorcars, a subsidiary of Chrysler Group LLC and is headquartered in Surrey, BC, servicing both customers and dealers of the GEM cars for over four years. Global Electric Motorcars, manufacturer of the GEM car, has been in operation in North America for over 11 years. How fast do GEM cars go? GEM models are electronically limited to a top speed of 40km/hr in Canada to meet Federal Low-Speed Vehicle requirements, however, they are legal on many city roads up to 50km/hr. How does owning a GEM car help the environment? GEM cars are fully plug-in electric, producing zero tailpipe emissions, and if you live in a province like British Columbia, where our energy is from green sources such as BC Hydro, your electricity used to charge your car is environmentally friendly too. Owning a GEM car reduces our country's dependance on oil and environmentally degrading practices, and does not use non-renewable resources as a fuel source in BC. Even in Alberta, where energy is primarily sourced from coal, your ecological footprint is greatly reduced through an electric car vs. a conventional fuel-powered vehicle. What is a GEM car's driving range on a single charge? Many things can affect the driving range of the GEM car, including ambient temperature, terrain, driving conditions, payload, driving habits, battery age, and tire pressure. It is hard to say exactly what your range will be, but a typical GEM car, used under proper conditions with fully charged batteries, can get up to 48 km on a charge. The GEM e6 with the "S" Package and the GEM eL XD can have a driving range of up to 60 km per charge. Where can GEM cars be driven? GEM cars can be driven on all public roads that are posted at 40km/hr or less in British Columbia, which in 2008 approved the use of neighborhood electric vehicles. Many cities and municipalities, seeing the benefits of zero-emission electric vehicles, have legalized the use of GEM cars on all roads with posted speed limits of 50km/hr or less. It is an ideal vehicle for local, around-town use. Uses include transportation from mass transit stations to the workplace or home, taking the kids to school or the library, grocery shopping, or other common neighborhood or downtown errands.For more information on what cities have legalized its use on 50km/hr roads, please visit our 50km/hr zone map. Where can I purchase a GEM car? Please visit our zero-emission vehicles section to view our line of GEM vehicles. For pricing and purchasing, please give us a call at 604.536.0436. What about safety? GEM cars meet the latest requirements set by the American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for this class of vehicle. The requirements include a safety glass windshield, wipers, headlamps, taillights, turn signals, high mounted stoplights, mirrors, and three-point safety belts, among other accepted automotive safety features. What powers the GEM car? GEM cars are powered by a 72-volt-battery system, which provides power to a custom controller and powers the electric drive motor. The GEM e2, GEM e4, GEM e6, GEM eS, and the GEM eL contain six 12-volt batteries, and the GEM e6 with the "S" Package and the GEM eL XD contain nine 8-volt maintenance-free gel batteries. Is special equipment needed to charge the batteries? No. The batteries are charged with an onboard charger that plugs into a standard 110-volt outlet available in just about any home. The GEM e2, GEM e4, GEM e6, GEM eS, and the GEM eL take approximately eight to twelve hours to recharge and the GEM e6 with the "S" Package and the GEM eL XD take approximately ten to fourteen hours to recharge from a completely discharged state. In addition, with an optional fast charge package, GEM cars can be optimally charged in less than one hour. The ideal time to charge is at night when the demand for electric power is at its lowest, although the GEM car can be plugged in virtually anywhere, at any time, to top off the charge or to completely charge the vehicle. Rather than wait for the batteries to reach empty, plug in the car at any opportunity and never be without power. How much does it cost to charge a GEM car? It depends on the cost of electricity in your area. To fully charge a GEM car from a completely discharged state, it takes approximately 5 kwH of power. Multiply that by the local cost per kwH and you will have the cost for charging your GEM car. For example, in British Columbia, with BC Hydro rates at $0.08/kwH, to charge your gem car costs only $0.40. Will I damage the batteries if I plug the GEM car in when it may only need a partial charge? No. You can give your batteries an 'opportunity charge' at anytime. Whether you are plugging it in for 30 minutes over your lunch or letting it charge for four hours, there is no problem with topping your batteries off. The best practice is to fully charge at the end of each day of use. Do my batteries have a memory? No. Unlike the old cell phone batteries, you do not need to fully discharge the GEM batteries before charging. We do recommend that you do not leave the batteries in a discharged state for any length of time. Always try to keep the batteries charged. Can I power GEM cars from solar energy? At this time, Global Electric Motorcars does not offer a solar panel charge option for their cars. How many people can a GEM car accommodate? GEM cars are available in two-passenger, four-passenger and six-passenger models. In addition, Electric Car BC offers three GEM utility models that seat two-passengers. What types of options are available? Personalizing a GEM car is easy with an array of options that include everything from soft doors and custom wheels to a car cover and a lockable TrunkBack. Available colors include red, yellow, green, white, blue, silver and black. How do I become a dealer? If you are interested in becoming an Electric Car BC authorized dealership, please contact us at info@electriccarbc.com with your critical information and why you might be interested and we will be sure to get in contact.  |