More than 28,000 GEM electric vehicles will be in use by the end of 2003, solidifying the company’s status as the nation’s number one producer of street-legal electric vehicles. “When we look back on 2003, we will see it as the year that GEM caught on,” said Larry Oswald, CEO of Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), the division of DaimlerChrysler that produces GEMs. “The GEM market is gathering momentum, and we are on track to achieve our long-term goal of establishing GEM neighborhood electric vehicles as a sustainable business,” Oswald said. Meanwhile, GEM has benefited from the engineering capabilities of DaimlerChrysler, resulting in continuous improvements in quality and onboard features of the zero emission vehicles. Oswald briefed the media on the GEM electric vehicle business November 16 at EVS-20, the international electric vehicle symposium and exhibition held in Long Beach, California. Customers for GEMs have come from the growing planned community segment, industrial and commercial parks and manufacturing facilities. College campuses have also been a popular site for GEMs. In addition to ongoing retail sales, DaimlerChrysler has partnered with city, state and Federal governments to put GEMs to use in urban areas, parks, military bases, and other government facilities. “These programs have succeeded just as we hoped. They have put GEMs into everyday use in highly visible locations. Once people see the GEM, they understand the benefits of these vehicles – and they are attracted to the vehicles’ unique design and function,” said GEM President and COO Rick Kasper.