Top-speed testing is serious business, requiring meticulous preflight inspections, maximum driver skill and safety apparel, a testing facility with adequate room and requisite barriers, and crew standing by. With all these factors in place, we stood on the go pedal of a GEM e4 not knowing what to expect. Just 20.7 seconds later, we'd shattered several Motor Trend records.
The e4 achieved its top speed in less time than any car we've ever tested--it took a Lamborghini Murcielago 10 seconds longer to reach only 88 percent of its 193-mph top-speed. The GEM also is the only vehicle we've ever tested to run the quarter mile, slalom, and skidpad at its terminal velocity. Before you jump to conclusions, realize the GEM e4 is limited to traveling at twice the speed of smell, or a mere 25 mph.
In 1998, the National Highway Traffic Safety administration designated a new class of motor vehicle, the low-speed vehicle. Since that time, Global Electric Vehicles (GEM) has produced over 28,000 such vehicles for the 27 states that currently recognize the NHTSA's LSV classification. The GEM e4 you see here represents the DaimlerChrysler-owned company's high-end four-seater model. There are three other GEM models for 2005: e2 (two-seater), eS (two-seat short-bed pickup), and eL (two-seat long-bed pickup).
All GEMs get around on a 72-volt, five (continuous) horsepower GE electric motor supplied by six deep-cycle batteries. Charging the underseat batteries requires nothing more than a standard 110-volt AC outlet and about 12 hours of downtime. Once charged, the batteries' approximate range is 30 miles. The GEM is constructed with a welded aluminum spaceframe, fully independent front and trailing-arm rear suspension with coil springs, four-wheel disc brakes, and a full docket of safety equipment. To qualify for the NHTSA LSV classification, the car is equipped with turn signals, mirrors, windshield wiper, head- and taillights, and three-point seatbelts for all occupants. As long as it's driven on roads with posted speed limits of 35 mph or below, it's fully street-legal.