All-electric GEM vehicle gets off-road makeover

If you've been pondering assembling your own dune buggy to cruise the beaches this summer, here's a swank idea. An all-electric GEM caught parked at the Pismo Beach Classic custom car show had apparently undergone quite a dramatic makeover as it boasted off-road tires and a substantial lift to boot. Sure, enabling it to climb over the punier hybrids on the freeway is bound to hurt those miles-per-watt, but there's nothing like crawling over barricades without even a hint of carbon dioxide being emitted. Catch another snapshot of the whip after the break.

[Tripps @ Jun 16th 2007 10:22AM]

I gotta say, that is the dumbest looking vehicle I've seen in a long time.

[andi @ Jun 16th 2007 10:41AM]

just don't take any sharp corners!

hehe, hilarious!

[andi @ Jun 16th 2007 10:43AM]

ah, and what are the fuel tank and exhaust for?... all-electric you say?.. i can even see bits of the petrol engine...

[BigD @ Jun 16th 2007 11:35AM]

Just because a car can operate purely off of electricity doesn't mean that you wouldn't want some good old fashioned locomotion in case you ran out of juice while away from and electric outlet.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jun 17th 2007 10:20AM]

Looking at this photograph, I can see an alternator connected to what appears to be a combustion engine.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/gallery/hacked-gem-atv/275575/

[Mathias @ Jun 16th 2007 1:35PM]

It looks pretty obvious to me that they've converted this thing to run off a gasoline engine after all - look at that tank on the back.

Lifting golf carts and 'utility vehicles' like these is pretty common in the golf cart industry. They try to go after people who want to go slower than a four-wheeler ATV and such.

[Andrew Davidson @ Jun 16th 2007 11:06AM]

Is it just me, or does that thing have an exhaust pipe, and what appears to be a motorcycle engine.

Check the second picture near the far tire for the pipe and look up above and to the left for what appears to be a four stroke quad or motorcycle engine with a quad's CVT transmission.

[Ayle @ Jun 16th 2007 12:15PM]

Yup, this is not "electrical" anymore....

[Cosmos @ Jun 16th 2007 11:19AM]

Isn't it customary to blur the license plate number?

[trappy @ Jun 16th 2007 12:43PM]

not anymore. I could just go into Google StreetView and get the info :)

[dude @ Jun 16th 2007 11:26AM]

Wow that car is ugly as sin. I would've taken a small EZ-GO or something like my neighbor across the alley, but this car sucks.

[S @ Jun 16th 2007 8:59PM]

WTF is this trash? And engadget, dear god WHY are you reporting on it? Not news......merely a rednecks idea of a golfcart. Nuff said!

[Steve @ Jun 16th 2007 12:42PM]

miles-per-watt? C'mon guys, you're a tech column.

How about miles-per-watt-hour.

[sean.boots @ Jun 16th 2007 7:39PM]

Geez... how 'bout *kilometres*-per-watt-hour!

"Real tech people use metric." ;-)


Just kidding. Use whatever you want, eh?

[Woody @ Jun 16th 2007 3:52PM]

I hate to admit this considering the replies, but I used to build these-actually welded the frames for them. But that was for the regular GEM car-not this "thing". They are fun to drive and are popping up everywhere, sporting events, commercials for other products, and even on one of the Austin Powers movies.

[SPINCYCLE @ Jun 17th 2007 12:29AM]

> without even a hint of carbon dioxide being emitted.

Ummm....only if the electricity came from a solar panel, wind turbine, or nuke plant. And even THOSE technologies have Carbon footprintd, if indirect ones.

[Adoniteking @ Jun 16th 2007 2:09PM]

MTV!!!...PIMP this RIDE...please.

[Daniel @ Jun 16th 2007 6:34PM]

Add an electric stair lift into that thing then il class it as "electric" ;-)

[James Whited @ Jun 16th 2007 3:54PM]

Um, Well, why would anyone put ITP Mud-lites (and ITP Wheels) on an electric car. (or even one lifted with a gas engine shoved under it)

[kojo87 @ Jun 16th 2007 5:23PM]

this makes me want to jack the suspension and ript the doors off my 84 VW rabbit convertible. even that would look better than this thing!

[Aaron @ Jun 16th 2007 8:41PM]

I don't know why, but I really like the insane height on this thing. I don't think it's all that ugly, either. I bet you anything chicks would talk to you if you rolled up in one. :)

[chris @ Aug 14th 2007 10:50AM]

Notice that it still retains the Alternative Fuel license plate ... that would make this conversion technically illegal, since it now runs on a gasoline engine.

[xXPORTUGEEXx @ Jun 18th 2007 4:53AM]

This thing is hella bad you guys dont know what your talking about because you obviously have never been to Pismo, pismo has dunes and people take golf carts and other toys out there so obviously its understandable why this golf cart is lifted.

[Josh @ Jun 18th 2007 7:10PM]

Wow! I see these things EVERYWHERE near the beaches out in SoCal. This one is obviously HEAVILY modified. I also think a previous commenter was correct regarding the exhaust and gas tank.