Is the GEM a fit for Irvine?

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roundcorners_IHB

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Welcome to my new obsession! I am seriously considering purchasing a <a href="http://www.gemcar.com/">GEM</a> electric car. I have been doing a lot of research on alternative means of transportation since the summer gas spike. I'm sure $4 gas is just around the corner. Besides reading the IHB, I have been reading everything I can about the GEM, and watching various GEM owners on youtube. You can get those suckers up to 45mph with large mag wheels and up to 50 miles on one charge! They are street legal and start around $6K.



Here is what I need help from the collective IHBers. How do you feel being behind on of these, doing top speed 45mph down Jamboree or Barancca? If the city says I can take this thing on the various bike and walking trails / canal corridors; I am marching into a showroom tomorrow. I have been literally obsessed, since I saw one at Park Place. The security guard must have been freaked out when I bombarded him with 20 questions; I was this close to asking him for a quick ride around the lot. The general question is: Irvine a city conducive to the idea of golf carts, I'll try to avoid major streets as possible. I know there are cities such as Balboa Island, Belmont Shore or Ladera Ranch that might be a better setting for carts, but what about Irvine?



Please don't burst my day dreams of tooting around in my blue 2/4 seater GEM on a Saturday. Picking up a gallon of milk; sure on my way. Going to see a movie at the District? No problem, just get in the GEM baby! I can pick a few friends up, cruz on down to the Spectrum... form a private Irvine GEM club that meet in my garage... it's all possible...



<img src="http://www.avem.fr/img/vep/gem2.jpg" alt="" />
 
Instead of a GEM, I'd probably get another type of electric car. Maybe a Hybred Honda or Smart Car. These little cars have a MAXIMUM of 45mph. And that is with a full charge and only for a few minutes. Otherwise they will probably go between 25-30mph. Going down jamboree with that thing will most certainly be an eye opening experience. As Irvine contains alot of foreign drivers who are inattentive as well as newbs. I have personally gone betwen 50-60mph down the street part of jamboree and significantly faster on the "highway" part.

And above all these things are HORRID in anything but perfect weather as well as they aren't that great with the steering or handling. (I've done my own rendition of trying to "drift" it... its not the brightest thing for me to do...)



Anyways good luck

-bix
 
Instead of asking others here how they would feel driving behind one on a major street, ask yourself how you would feel when you get rear-ended/run-over by an SUV. That thing is a death trap.
 
Keep in mind, this is a car that was <em>designed to survive</em> a crash.



<object width="325" height="250"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/youtube" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="325" height="250"></embed></object>
 
You might want to look at these two items from the 2009 California Vehicle Code:



<a href="http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc21260.htm">2009 California Vehicle Code - Section 21260 (Low-Speed Vehicles: Prohibitions)</a>



<em>"... the operator of a low-speed vehicle shall not operate the vehicle on any roadway with a speed limit in excess of 35 miles per hour."</em>



With that prohibition, you would be limited to using the GEM within a residential neighborhood, provided the posted speed limits are not above 35. I doubt there are many areas within Irvine where you could safely operate a GEM. In Woodbridge, that would certainly keep you off Yale Loop (speed limit 40), and some of the other roads that intersect Yale Loop (IIRC) as well as Barranca and Alton. Certainly no cruising down Jamboree in one of those things (common sense should have told you that to begin with).



<a href="http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc21266.htm">2009 California Vehicle Code - Section 21266 (Low-Speed Vehicles: Restrictions and Prohibitions By Local Authorities or Department of the California Highway Patrol)</a>



<em>"... local authorities, by ordinance or resolution, may restrict or prohibit the use of low-speed vehicles."</em>



<em>"... a local law enforcement agency with primary traffic enforcement responsibilities or the Department of the California Highway Patrol may prohibit the operation of a low-speed vehicle on any roadway under that agency's or department's jurisdiction when the agency or the department deems the prohibition to be in the best interest of public safety."</em>



I don't know if the City of Irvine has placed usage restrictions on low-speed vehicles on bike trails and the like, but I wouldn't be surprised.



Disclaimer: I am not an attorney, nor do I play one on TV/stage/film/my dreams. This is just a layman's interpretation of the California Vehicle Code. Personally, the thought did cross my mind once about using this type of vehicle solely within Woodbridge, then safety concerns (as echoed above) pretty much squashed that idea.



Trooper (if she sees this): any additional thoughts to share here?
 
Oscar



Great find on the Smart Car going "head on" with the S-Class Benz.

Thats equivalant to a SUV in mass.

It survived better than I expected. A Mercedes Benz is

like a heavy German Tank. I know. I own 2 of them.



That Smart Car would survive much better if it was against a smaller

import.



To the OP.

That GEM is cute but the Smart Car would be the obvious choice for

a Micro Car.
 
But they start at $7500 !



At $4.00 a gallon for Gas, That's enough money to run a real Car that does 30mpg for 56,000 miles..



Or something like that.
 
[quote author="bltserv" date=1231638899]Oscar



Great find on the Smart Car going "head on" with the S-Class Benz.

Thats equivalant to a SUV in mass.

It survived better than I expected. A Mercedes Benz is

like a heavy German Tank. I know. I own 2 of them.



That Smart Car would survive much better if it was against a smaller

import.



To the OP.

That GEM is cute but the Smart Car would be the obvious choice for

a Micro Car.</blockquote>


That was kind of the point I was trying to make. If the over-engineered Smart car took that kind of damage from a popular choice of car in Irvine, that electric cart (and it's occupants) would be sausage mixins. I also don't think Irvine allows LSVs on it's pathways.
 
Hey, me too. I see a red Sparrow less than a mile from my workplace on the way home most days. Owner is a elderly guy, and it doesn't look like there's much room in it for anything more than him.
 
Would you believe GM had a similar concept vehicle <em>almost 30 years ago</em>?



<a href="http://thenewcaferacersociety.blogspot.com/2008/03/vintage-1980-gm-lean-machine.html">GM's Lean Machine</a>



<img src="http://www.rqriley.com/images/gm-lm2.jpg" alt="" />
 
Unfortunately, practical, efficient commuter centric cars are toast until someone figures out how to mass produce them for about $3000. Until then, the cost differential of the car outweighs the costs differential of the gas efficiency.
 
[quote author="Astute Observer" date=1231817018]

You don't happen to work in El Segundo, do you? The red Sparrow is usually parked next to the building that sells playground equip.</blockquote>
So that's what they do! ;) Red jelly bean...that's the one.
 
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