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Chrysler's Peapod EV lets iPod double as ignition key

by Ross Miller, posted Apr 19th 2009 at 8:31AM

That unassuming iPod dock we saw in Chrysler GEM's Peapod prototype? Turns out it's got a pretty interesting little trick, allowing your iPhone / iPod double as the ignition key. According to the EV's brochure, the company's got an app that makes all the magic work, and if you wish to start your car in an old-school manner, keys are still a viable option. Sure, it's not the first example of car-phone integration we've come across, it's a welcome addition to the oddly-shaped neighborhood whip that's going beyond concept phase into production this October.

GEM becomes Green Eco Mobility, introduces Peapod prototype

by Tim Stevens, posted Sep 30th 2008 at 3:37AM

While Chevy makes quite a to-do about the upcoming Volt hybrid, GM-cousin Chrysler has quietly continued to produce over 38,000 real, honest to gosh electric cars in its GEM sub-division. In need of a little eco-PR boost, Global Electric Motorcars is re-branding itself as Global Eco Mobility and introducing the Peapod. No, not that Peapod, or that Peapod, but a new Peapod that will travel up to 30 miles at 25 mph on an eight hour charge -- stats that sound suspiciously identical to the company's earlier Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (when not in muddin' guise, at least). But, that car doesn't sport bulbous looks on the outside nor gratuitous iPod integration on the inside (pictured below), which, if you don't have to go far or fast, might make it the perfect accessory for your pod when it enters production sometime next year for an undisclosed price.

[Via Register Hardware]

Continue reading GEM becomes Green Eco Mobility, introduces Peapod prototype

And you thought that laptop fire sucked...

by Evan Blass, posted Jan 16th 2008 at 4:13PM

GEM neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) burning peacefully on the UC Riverside campus, January 15th, 2008. Bigger version in the gallery below.

[Image courtesy of Matt G.]

Gallery: And you thought that laptop fire sucked...

All-electric GEM vehicle gets off-road makeover

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 16th 2007 at 10:15AM

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.

Continue reading All-electric GEM vehicle gets off-road makeover