The Shevats Take A Ride On The Green Side

By Linda Kor
   With the high cost of gas expected to go even higher, Holbrook residents Matt and Terrie Shevat have found an eco-friendly way to save money and still get around town.
   The Shevats recently purchased a GEM (Global Electric Motorcar). This electric vehicle runs on a 72-volt system with a five-horsepower motor. “We wanted to save money on gas, so we’ve been looking around for awhile and this was just what we wanted and we got it locally in Flagstaff,” stated Matt.
   The vehicle travels up to 25 miles per hour and is legal on streets posting a speed limit of up to 35 mph. Matt estimates the cost to operate the vehicle to be no more than five cents per mile. “I charge it up every other day, but you really don’t have to do it that often. It’s the same as running seven or eight light bulbs at the same time,” he estimated.
   The vehicle features a fiberglass body on an aluminum frame and weighs about 1,700 pounds.
   “It’s a new 2007 model and we paid $10,625 for it,” he explained. “We got a basic model and still need to get the canvas doors for it.”
   The car also has an option of having a chip inserted that will allow it to travel up to 35 mph.
   The Shevats discovered that finding an insurance company to cover the vehicle wasn’t an easy task. “It’s not really a car and it’s not a golf cart, so most insurance companies don’t have a classification for it. We found one insurance company in Winslow that would cover it as a car, but it was actually a company here in town that was the only one we found that had a specific category for an electric vehicle,” said Matt.
   One of the selling points for the Shevats was where the vehicle was made.
   “The GEM is one of the few American made electric cars we could find,” stated Matt. “That was a real selling point for us.”
   He’s been getting a lot of attention in his little car. “I have people asking me all the time about it, but it’s just pretty basic--we just got tired of paying for gas,” said Matt.