At $10,500, Would You Rule The Neighborhood In This 2019 GEM E4 NEV?

There's something charming about today's Nice Price or No Dice GEM NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle). No, it's not going to let you get out on the highway, but on suburban streets with a speed limit of less than 35, it could still make you born to be wild. Let's see what that might be worth.

The film version of Pierre Boulle's epic "The Bridge On The River Kwai" ends with Alec Guinness's Colonel Nicholson realizing the error of his ways after having led his men in the building of the titular bridge for his captors. Upon seeing the result of his efforts, he famously asks the jungle that envelopes him, "What have I done?" These are his parting words as, fatally injured, he then falls on the detonator that blows up the bridge in spectacular Cinemascope fashion.

One might wonder if a similar thought came to mind with whoever took the time, effort, and care to maintain yesterday's 1987 Toyota Cressida in such fine fashion. Appearing in almost-as-new condition and claimed to be fully functional, right down to its old-school A/C, that classic sedan came across as a total time capsule. Unfortunately for its seller, few of you felt that the effort, while well-intentioned, was worth the $9,450 now asked for the car. That proved evident in the 70% "No Dice" loss it suffered at our hands.

I noted yesterday that we were having an impromptu '80s adventure with a three-pete from that decade to start off the week. Well, sorry to say, but the party's over because today we have work to do, and getting us there is this 2019 GEM E4 Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV).

One of the biggest challenges in urban transportation is the final mile: while city engineers attempt to locate transit hubs in the most opportune urban locations, that doesn't address getting to the train/bus/community canoe hub on the suburban side. Having a small, easily parkable, and efficient vehicle makes a lot of sense for people who need to connect their home to their chosen mass transit option.

Another benefit of a small electric neighborhood vehicle like the E4 is its suitability for weekend shopping. Most people live within reasonable proximity of a neighborhood grocery store, their barber shop, or other frequented businesses that suburbia demands—I'm looking at you, Panera Bread. With a claimed 60-mile range and street legal status on roads with 35 mph and lower limits, this GEM is a solid contender for an efficient and, dare we say, fun bop-around vehicle.

Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) has been around for over 30 years and has sold more than 50,000 electric vehicles over that time. The company is presently a subsidiary of Minnesota's Polaris Inc., which also makes motorcycles, ATVs, side-by-side farm and off-road vehicles, and the wildly weird Slingshot three-wheeler. Suffice to say, the GEM is in good, if eclectic company.

The E4 is named for its four seats. There is also a six-seater E6 and a two-up E2 on tap from the company. Yes, all these vehicles are still in production, and that means that parts (including doors to keep winter's wrath at bay) are easily available. Plus, these are American-made, so I imagine there's no tariff monkey business.

This one comes with less than 1,000 miles on the clock and a set of 23-inch wheels with new knobby tires, giving the E4 an aggressive "golf cart for the Tat Crowd" look. Other upgrades include a marine-grade Bluetooth stereo and electric (one-finger!) power steering. It comes with a charging cord, but as it's limited to 120 volts and 1kWh charging, don't expect it to top up too quickly.

Power for the E4 comes from a 6.5 kW AC induction motor powering the rear wheels. There are some discrepancies (now, where have we heard that before?) or at least differences between the ad and the specs on the GEM site. While the company lists the current battery options as lithium-ion packs, the ad describes the battery pack on this car as a "72VOLT 12V AGM Deep Cycle DISTANCE BATTERY pack option from Polaris." That's about a $2K upgrade on the aftermarket, so factor that into your thinking. The ad also claims the car has a 30 mph top end, while GEM says that 25 mph is the model's limit. 

Regardless, these specs are in the Goldilocks range of "just right" for a light-duty commuter or weekend gadabout. A clean title and current registration through August of this year (plus no smog test at title transfer!) are additional pluses. 

That street-legal status means this isn't just some rickety golf cart, either. The windshield is automotive-grade, and GEM claims the top offers substantial rollover safety. Plus, there are cup holders!

Look, I know this isn't going to be everybody's cup of tea. Heck, most of us are looking at this GEM and immediately thinking, "FORE!" 

Be that as it may, there's a market for a car like this, especially amongst people who live in those planned communities that won't let you paint your house any color other than "desert sand." For those folks, we now need to consider this E4's $10,500 asking price. According to the seller, that's a substantial reduction from the $34K the GEM cost new.

What do you think? Is $10,500 a fair price for the opportunity to smugly hold up traffic in your neighborhood? Or is that too much, considering that such an amount would easily buy a "real car"?

You decide!

Nice Price or No Dice:

Inland Empire, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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