Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: shared electric vehicles etc

[Lynn Nadeau (welcome]

I am the owner of a Chrysler GEM (Global Electric Motors) car. Type of 
vehicle sometimes called an NEV (neighborhood electric vehicle) or LSV (low 
speed vehicle). Glorified golf cart. Comes in 2 seat, 4 seat, and a 
mini-pickup truck; options of no sides, canvas and clear plastic snap-on, 
zip-up sides, or hard-door sides. Caps at 25 mph (28 downhill, but then the 
governor kicks in). Up a moderate hill it slows to around 16 mph, steepest 
hills 11 mph. Street legal where speed limit is 35 mph or less, so no 
highway. 

Plugs in to household extension cord, recharges fairly quickly. I drive 
around and do all my local errands, and it goes from 100% charge to around 
65%. About an hour and it's full again. 

Runs on 6 batteries. They need replacing every couple years, about. I forget 
what that costs, but it's hundreds of dollars. Mine is 4 years old and has 
about 5000 miles on it. Batteries were replaced by the previous owner 15 
months ago at about 3500 miles. New, a two seater w hard doors would 
probably run you about $11K. Less with soft doors. Less used. 

Everything is simple and manual: OFF/ON, FORWARD/REVERSE, wipers or signals 
off/on. Nothing automatic. 

Mine is a two seater with hard doors. For the past couple years I often 
borrowed my neighbor's 4 seater with zip-up doors. I like them for local 
errands (Port Townsend WA is a town of 8000, with several definite shopping 
areas). The two seater is easier to turn, like when doing a 3 pt turn, as it 
is shorter. 

How is it to drive? If you are used to a "real" car, it's pretty 
rattledy-bang. Needs battery water checked every month or two. Takes 
adjusted expectations. 

I don't know how it would do with more intensive driving, as when shared by 
many people. We had wanted to own my neighbor's, 6 of us, but the insurance 
company could figure no way we could all be owners or equally involved in 
insuring it. This may be the case with any car, but the pool of insurers who 
have a category for NEV cars is already limited (though it includes Allstate 
and State Farm). Before committing to any purchase, research your insurance 
options. 

The PT EcoVillage near here shares an electric ZAP car, three wheeler. I 
think it's fancier than a GEM. (Makes me think of an airplane nose cone!) 
Maybe Kees will chime in with their experience. Another kind of electric is 
called a ZEN. 

Lynn Nadeau, RoseWind Cohousing, Port Townsend WA
http://www.rosewind.org
Sunny and clear, 50 degrees. Recent rains have grass greening up.