DaimlerChrysler Launches 2002 GEM Lineup Featuring Performance, Power Upgrades Ideal for Urban Driving

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 10 -- As Earth Day approaches this month in Southern California, the laid-back streets of Santa Monica's downtown beachfront will be filled with the clean sounds of silence.

This progressive city was chosen as the launch pad for the new 2002 model of the GEM, DaimlerChrysler's neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV), since it is a great example of the ``neighborhood'' envisioned for NEVs. The 2002 GEM, America's best-selling neighborhood electric vehicle, features a more powerful motor and other improvements.

``The GEM was designed for cities such as Santa Monica,'' says Ken Montler, president of GEM, which is based in Fargo, N.D.

GEM vehicles already are being used in Santa Monica for short trips around town without the attendant emissions and parking hassles associated with larger, gasoline-fueled vehicles, Montler says.

``We know how people use our cars here,'' Montler says, ``and we know they use them the way they were intended to be used -- not to replace the automobile, but to supplement it. That's the paradox of the GEM: People who don't know how to use a NEV think it's not for them, yet when they ride in one, they can't stop thinking about how it can be used.''

Montler says Santa Monica is the ideal setting to demonstrate how GEM vehicles should be used in low-speed, congested urban settings to make commuting or running errands more enjoyable and more affordable. Almost every street in the city of Santa Monica is accessible by a GEM.

With its 2002 model year upgrades, the GEM will be even more likely to find new uses in Santa Monica and elsewhere.

The GEM 2002 model year improvements include: -- A new 5-horsepower General Electric DC motor (replacing the previous 3.5-horsepower version) provides better efficiency, giving improved performance. -- The new 10:35:1 ratio gearbox offers better performance throughout the vehicle's 0-25 mph range. -- Removable, fiberglass, hard doors have been added as an option package to provide more all-weather versatility. The doors are designed to retain the spacious feel of the standard GEM. -- The improved interior includes a more functional dashboard and glove box. -- New thermoplastic body panels feature coloring that is imbedded instead of painted on, which is a better process for the environment as it eliminates paint emissions. The color match actually results in a more consistent color with an acrylic surface that gives greater "depth of image." Moreover, the body panels are now recyclable. -- Extended three-year warranty with batteries and tires prorated.

Other, less obvious improvements include hood and seat latch mechanisms that have been upgraded from the old screw type, and new battery hold-downs are being used.

``More upgrades are coming in the days ahead,'' adds Montler. ``GEM is committed to constantly taking customer input into the design and manufacturing system to improve the vehicles.''

The 2002 GEMs were featured at The Victorian, a historic house a block up from the beach in the Santa Monica Main Street business district. At present, there are 10 GEM vehicles in use at The Victorian, which has been converted to a special events facility by its owner, Glen Gerson. The site plays host to the renowned weekly Sunday morning Farmer's Market at Ocean Park Boulevard and Main Street.

``Everybody who sees these cars at Farmers Market loves them,'' Gerson says. ``And once they drive the GEM, they invariably say something like, 'Hey, I can use this car to go get a cup of coffee, or pick up a Sunday paper, or go to the beach, or go to my friend's house, or get to work, or haul tools or supplies around town,' or whatever.''

A trend-setting beach rental business featuring a fleet of GEM NEVs -- operated by EV Rental Cars out of The Victorian facility -- will be launched on April 10, in time for the spring and summer tourism season.

The real utility of the GEM in Santa Monica is for getting around quickly and cleanly in the city's traffic. The GEM is legal to drive at a top speed of 25 mph on streets posted at 35 mph or less.

The affordable GEM neighborhood electric vehicle is designed for downtown driving, college campuses, formal and informal office campuses, planned communities, industrial parks, military bases, resorts, and similar localized uses. It costs pennies per mile to operate and is easily charged by plugging into a standard 110-volt household outlet. GEM complies with all applicable federal safety laws.

With prices starting under $7,000, GEMs are available in two- and four- passenger models as well as short- and long-bed utility versions. Global Electric Motorcars, LLC, is the largest U.S. producer of street-legal electric vehicles.

DaimlerChrysler Corp. purchased Global Electric Motorcars, LLC, in December 2000. Marketing GEMs is part of DaimlerChrysler's continuing effort to develop, produce, and sell the world's most environmentally friendly vehicles.

Images of GEM vehicles and additional DaimlerChrysler news are available on DaimlerChrysler's Media Services Web Site at http://www.media.daimlerchrysler.com . For more information on GEM cars and utility vehicles, visit www.gemcar.com .