Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) Names Orlando Dodge as 2004 Dealer of the Year
14 Mars 2005 - 8:20PM
PR Newswire (US)
Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) Names Orlando Dodge as 2004 Dealer
of the Year ORLANDO, Fla., March 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Global Electric Motorcars, LLC (GEM) recently named Orlando Dodge
of Orlando, Florida as their 2004 Dealer of the Year. This award is
given to the top dealer for the calendar year and is based on
sales, service, and other qualifications. "We are pleased to award
such an outstanding dealer with this award," said Richard J.
Kasper, President and Chief Operating Officer for Global Electric
Motorcars, LLC. "Their hard work and dedication to the GEM line of
vehicles have resulted in strong sales of our product in their
market." The 2005 GEMs are available in selected Chrysler, Dodge
and Jeep(R) dealers nationwide. Four models are sold: the e2 which
is a two-passenger coupe, the e4, a four-passenger sedan, as well
as the eL and eS, which are two passenger cars designed with cargo
beds for light hauling. "The GEM line is a great addition to our
lineup of vehicles," said Mike Smith, owner of Orlando Dodge. "We
are very proud to bring zero emission driving alternatives to the
Orlando area." Classified as a low-speed vehicle, DaimlerChrysler
debuted the 2005 versions of its industry-leading GEM electric
vehicles last spring during a 9 city launch tour which included a
stop at Orlando Dodge and their largest market for the vehicles,
The Villages. The new model year was released last spring to meet
marketing demands for this top selling, environmentally friendly,
neighborhood electric vehicle. "Dealer and Customer feedback has
been very positive as demand validated our strong sales for the
2005 model year vehicles," said Richard J. Kasper, President &
COO of Global Electric Motorcars, LLC. "Zero emissions GEMs provide
clean, quiet, efficient and affordable transportation. As an
alternative to conventional vehicles, they can have a significant
impact on air quality. And best of all, GEMs are fun to drive,"
adds Kasper. Improvements to the 2005 GEM include a new front
suspension, a wider track and improved steering for increased
maneuverability, a customer-friendly electrical panel, an enhanced
Regenerative Braking System (RBS) and top speed regulation system,
and a new digital driver information display. Over 30,000 GEMs have
been produced and distributed across the United States and
internationally, in settings such as city centers, master planned
communities, rural areas, military bases, local, state and national
parks, industrial developments, airports and college and university
campuses. "All the projections are for continued growth in the
marketplace for neighborhood electric vehicles," said Larry Oswald,
CEO and Director of the GEM and Electric Vehicle Product Team for
DaimlerChrysler. "GEM is already the industry leader in this
market, and with these new models we are poised to broaden our
leadership." Research in California has shown that when GEM owners
use their zero- emission vehicles, they are replacing a
conventional vehicle two out of three times. Most of those trips,
75 percent, are less than three miles round trip. "These short
trips -- and there are millions of them each day in the United
States -- are when most of the emissions are produced in a
conventional vehicle. By using GEMs whenever possible, we can
reduce even further the air quality affects of standard combustion
engine automobiles," Oswald said. GEM vehicles are street-legal in
most states where they can be driven on roadways posted up to 35
mph. The vehicles have a top speed of 25 mph and meet all safety
standards established by the federal government for Neighborhood
Electric or Low Speed Vehicles. GEMs are recognized as Zero
Emission Vehicles by California, New York and other states. Oswald
noted that GEMs are just one of the approaches taken by
DaimlerChrysler to producing cleaner vehicles: * Improved internal
combustion engines and powertrains. * Alternate fuel vehicles,
including more than 1 million vehicles that can be operated on E85
fuel made from renewable ethanol. * High-efficiency diesels,
including the Jeep Liberty SUV and Mercedes- Benz E 320 currently
available in the United States. * Hybrid electric vehicles,
DaimlerChrysler and GM will co-develop an advanced two-mode hybrid
powertrain architecture for Chrysler Group, Mercedes Car Group, and
GM vehicles. Also, Orion VII diesel electric hybrid buses have been
delivered to New York City. * Fuel cell vehicles, where
DaimlerChrysler has real world experience from a fleet of over 100
fuel cell powered passenger cars, medium-duty vans and city buses
on the road. "As we enter our eighth year, we have made great
progress in building a sustainable, profitable business with strong
market potential for the future," Oswald said. "But perhaps more
importantly, we are proud of our role in establishing a new market
niche for electric vehicles with the potential to make significant
contributions to cleaner air in some of our most environmentally
sensitive areas." Global Electric Motorcars, LLC is a wholly owned
subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler and manufactures the industry-leading
GEM electric cars. There are over 150 DaimlerChrysler dealers
across the country that carry the GEM line of vehicles which are
specifically designed for city transportation. DATASOURCE:
DaimlerChrysler CONTACT: Kevin McCormick of Chrysler Group,
+1-248-512-6218, ; or Christopher Mohs of Global Electric
Motorcars, LLC, +1-701-446-0190, Web site:
http://www.media.daimlerchrysler.com/
http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/
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