More than 10,000 citizens in California are using DaimlerChrysler Corp.’s Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) for short-distance commutes, for example in and around gated communities and on streets in urban settings, according to a recent study on travel behavior. The study found that owners are using GEM NEVs instead of their conventional cars and light trucks for short commutes, which generate the highest vehicle emissions due to cold engine operation. Approximately 18,000 GEMs have been in service throughout the U.S. since 1999, in places such as gated communities, military bases, college campuses and in numerous communities/municipalities. Given a choice of travel modes for short trips, participants chose a NEV 85 percent of the time, according to the study. The study was conducted to determine how residents of master-planned communities travel in their neighborhoods, and how zero-emission NEVs could replace automobiles on most short trips.