As part of a recent environmentally friendly donation to the State University of New York, a tiny fleet of Global Electric Motorcars is beginning to make its appearance at UB.
UB received 10 of the zero-emission, golf cart-sized GEMs as part of an effort to cut down on air and noise pollution in public places. The vehicles were donated to SUNY by way of a partnership between the New York Power Authority and Global Electric Motorcars, LLC, a division of DaimlerChrysler.
However, before they hit the campus streets, a little winterization is an order, according to Manager of Facilities Operations John P. Hayes III.
"We're still waiting on the options we had to buy for each of the GEMs," Hayes said.
Though the GEMs were given to UB at no cost, several optional additions are necessary to make them roadworthy, especially in winter months.
To serve the correct functions on campus, each GEM requires around $2,000 in extra options to be installed before they are ready for use, Hayes said. These options include doors, car covers, an onboard heater/defroster, and the power cord necessary to charge the GEM for use.
Powered by six onboard 12-volt batteries, the GEM can be recharged with regular house current and one of the accessory power cords that UB had to purchase for each of the donated GEMs.
According to Hayes, installation is scheduled for this weekend, and after the process is complete and the vehicles are certified street-legal, it will be determined what administrative departments will receive them.
"We were supposed to get one, but we haven't seen any of them yet," said John A. Pfeffer, associate director for Instructional Technology Services.
Sophomore exercise science major Elizabeth Rose is one of the few to have sighted a GEM on campus, but she does not view their recent popularity as a huge step in reducing pollution nationwide.
"It's amazing how everyone thinks we're so advanced when, environmentally, Europe's so far ahead," she said.
Yet UB is further on its way to catching up than many other SUNY schools, according to John Hayes.
"Each campus (in the SUNY system) made a request for how many of the GEMs they needed from SUNY central," said Hayes. "Some of the campuses requested more than they got. UB was one of two schools to get the ten that they asked for."
Some students wonder how much difference 10 GEMs can make.
"I think their intentions are good. But 10 vehicles seems more like an experiment to me than anything else," said sophomore computer science major Brian Mattucci. "What are they waiting for to commit to more of these vehicles?"
According to Hayes, the university might be waiting to see if there are any more improvements in the overall power of the vehicle before they make extensive investments.
Right now, the GEM tops out at about 15 mph on the grass and 25 mph on the roadway. Its battery is expected to last an entire workday at UB, because it will only be used for transportation within the campus, said Hayes.
Hayes said his department is also curious how well the cars will fare in Buffalo's winters, which "occasionally have some snow," he said.
