GEM reveals its new 2024 LSVs that are designed to feel more like real cars
GEM, the company that makes all of those fun-looking people movers you see at places like airports, sports complexes, and hotels, has just launched its new 2024 line of low-speed vehicles (LSVs). And now they’re more “automotive like” than ever.
GEM is pretty much the undisputed leader in the LSV industry in the US. LSVs are street-legal, four-wheeled vehicles that are certified to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, come with a top speed of 25 mph (40 km/h), and are federally approved to travel on public roads with speed limits of 35 mph (56 km/h) or less.
GEM makes both passenger and utility versions of its LSVs, and the appearance falls somewhere between a golf cart and a micro-car. Just don’t call these “golf carts”; they’re so much more.
And now with the new 2024 model year lineup being unveiled today, that “so much more” just got even better.
As the CEO of GEM’s parent company, WAEV, Keith Simon, explained that more people than ever are adopting LSVs as regular-use vehicles instead of larger, costlier, and more energy-intensive personal cars and trucks.
“People are realizing that not every vehicle in their fleet or garage needs to travel over 200 miles or operate at highway speeds. GEM provides an affordable, accessible, convenient and enjoyable alternative way to move. In recent years, we’ve seen a growing number of individuals make the transition to GEM for daily transportation in their community. And more commercial customers are recognizing that GEM vehicles can easily do the job of a truck or van. Today, we’re redefining the LSV to be an even more viable alternative to an automobile – further expanding the lifestyles and operations that GEM can serve.
So what are the big updates? They’re a number of new design features that are largely focused on the vehicles’ electrical architecture.
The totally redesigned new 2024 electrical system boasts more than 30 modern EV enhancements that redefine the LSV’s performance, expand adoption, and provide a more automotive-like driving experience.
Major improvements include:
- A new control panel, gearcase, hill control, smoother acceleration and deceleration, one-pedal driving, and DOT-compliant tires provide operators with the quiet, smooth, and stable ride they expect from a modern EV.
- A turning radius that is 17% tighter than the previous model year allows for sharper turns and easier maneuvering on narrow roadways. The GEM eL XD now has a six-foot tighter turning radius than competitor work trucks. Coupled with electric power steering results in an easy-to-drive vehicle optimal for deliveries, maintenance, and property management.
- A refined in-cab experience includes a new dashboard, display gauge, key switch, FNR switch, hazard flashers, one-touch turn signal, windshield wiper, and optional automatic daytime running lights for seamless operation and improved visibility.
- A new power-off switch simplifies maintenance and helps sustain battery longevity and performance during long-term storage.
As required by law under federal regulations for LSVs, all of GEM’s vehicles feature a backup camera, hazard lights, brake lights, and turn signals.
The new 2024 GEM vehicles also come with an upgraded battery and charging options designed to “give drivers [the] confidence to transition to an EV.”
Those upgrades include:
- Two new AGM battery packages that provide more range – an average of five miles between charges – without adding cost. All models now come standard with the AGM battery package. The e6 and eL XD come standard with the distance AGM battery package.
- Two new Li-ion battery packages provide five times more battery life compared to AGM, opportunity charging, optional fast charging, a seven-year warranty and LiFePO4 technology – the safest, most reliable category of lithium batteries. Li-ion battery packages include 7.2 kWh for lighter-use applications and 14.4 kWh with up to 113 miles (182 km) of range for high-demand applications.
- Included as standard with all models is a 1 kW onboard charger that is now compatible with public EV charging stations – providing more flexibility wherever you drive.
- New custom-fit solar panels option can boost drive time by up to 40% and reduce grid-tied energy consumption.
- A new LCD dashboard display confirms the vehicle is charging and displays charge percentage.
The company is also touting its new designs and styling options.
GEM’s models now feature a “more refined, sleek design” as well as new upgrade options to elevate the vehicles’ appearance and functionality.
That includes:
- Seven gloss-finish exterior colors, including two new colors – Arctic Frost and Tidal Blue.
- New badges and front fascia design modernize the vehicle look.
- New seats with updated styling and increased bolster support for improved comfort.
- New factory-designed roof rack accessory with rugged styling to boost functionality with 15 square feet of additional storage.
The two-seater GEM e2 starts at US $15,240. The four-seater GEM e4 starts at US $17,490. The six-seater e6 starts at US $21,240. The utility-oriented eL XD mini-truck starts at US $18,740.
Features like doors, moon roofs, and other upgrades can add several thousand dollars to the price but make the GEM vehicles feel even more car-like.
Electrek’s Take
It’s great to see WAEV’s GEM vehicles getting these upgrades. Those Li-ion batteries sound great, but they’re a bit pricey. In last year’s model, upgrading from lead acid to Li-ion was a nearly $10,000 addition, and that was for a vehicle that already started at around $13,000 to $15,000. Now it appears that the 7.2 kWh Li-ion battery is priced at around US $6,000 and the 14.4 kWh battery is priced at close to $12,000. So these Li-ion batteries can add some serious cha-ching to the price. But for those that like the easy-riding vibe of a GEM and want a long-lasting battery, it may be worth it.
I’m also glad to see that public charging station connector, which I assume means J1772. Being able to charge while out and about is a big advantage, and it means owners won’t have to search for a wall plug.
Ultimately, GEMs are one of the most expensive LSVs on the market, but the company knows what it’s doing and has been around for a long time (even if they’ve changed ownership a few times too). They’re also American-made, which, as someone who frequently buys electric vehicles from China, I can tell you that US-built can make a big difference.
So with a history of service and support, that likely gives consumers and commercial customers some extra peace of mind. They’re pretty darn pricey when you add in the nicer features (doors, sunroof, Li-ion battery, etc.), but they sure do look like fun, especially if you love LSVs as much as I do!
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Following approval from Transport Canada, EV startup Workhorse will be bringing the W56 and W750 model electric delivery vans to commercial truck dealers in Canada as early as this spring.
Workhorse first showed its W56 medium-duty electric truck at Indiana’s Work Truck Week in 2023, and has sold the trucks to logistics and delivery companies like FedEx and Pride Group – which ordered more than six thousand of the electric vans in 2021, and continues to expand its fleet.
“This is a major step forward for Workhorse,” says Josh Anderson, Workhorse’s chief technology officer in a press statement. “Pre-clearance from Transport Canada opens up a large new market for our products throughout Canada, including with fleets that operate across borders in North America.”
As part of the approval process, Workhorse completed its registration as a foreign manufacturer under Transport Canada’s Appendix G clearance program. Transport Canada confirmed the vans’ compliance with Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) for both vehicles – but it remains to be seen if and how the latest tariff-driven trade war between the Trump Administration’s US and Canada will impact Workhorse’s plans to expand throughout North America.
Despite that uncertainty, Workhorse execs remain upbeat. “We’re excited that our electric step vans can now reach Canadian roads and highways, providing reliable, zero-emission solutions that customers can depend on,” added Anderson.
Canadian pricing has yet to be announced.
Electrek’s Take
There’s no other way to say it: the Trump/Musk co-presidency is disrupting a lot of companies’ plans – and that’s especially true across North American borders. But in all this chaos and turmoil there undoubtedly lies opportunity, and it will be interesting to see who ends up on top.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Workhorse, via Electric Autonomy Canada.
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![Liebherr developing giant, 140-ton Segway-style autonomous haulers [video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/operational-area-earth-moving-copy.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
The new Liebherr S1 Vision 140-ton hauler is unlike any heavy haul truck currently on the market – primarily because the giant, self-propelled, single-axle autonomous bucket doesn’t look anything like any truck you’ve ever seen.
Liebherr says its latest heavy equipment concept was born from a desire to rethink truck design with a focus only on core functions. The resulting S1 Vision is primarily just a single axle with two powerful electric motors sending power to a pair of massive airless tires designed carry loads up to 131 tonnes (just over 140 tons).
The design enables rapid maintenance, as important components easily accessible for quick servicing. Wear parts can be replaced efficiently, and the electric drive significantly reduces maintenance work. This helps to minimise downtimes and increases operational efficiency.
LIEBHERR
Because of its versatility, durability, and ability to perform zero-turn maneuvers that other equipment simply can’t, the Liebherr S1 Vision can be adapted for various applications, including earthmoving, mining, and even agriculture. There’s also a nonzero chance of this technology finding applications supporting other on-site equipment through charging or fuel delivery.
The S1 accomplishes that trick safely with the help of an automatic load leveling system that ensures maximum stability, even on bumpy or rough terrain. The company says this technology significantly reduces the risk of tipping while providing smooth and secure operation across various environments.
Liebherr will show the S1 Vision at this year’s bauma equipment exhibition in Munich, Germany. The design has already been nominated for the bauma Innovation Award in the Mechanical Engineering category – and my money’s on it winning.
Electrek’s Take
This is such goofy, stupid fun that if it was wheelbarrow-sized I’d have three of them. I can’t imagine the insanity of watching one of these things roll across a job site with 100 tons of granite in the bucket – and will have nightmares about the kind of damage it could do if it flipped out like a poorly made Chinese hoverboard clone whipping a toddler across a living room … which, in fairness, would probably get a billion views on Instagram or TikTok or whatever.
I can’t wait.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Liebherr.
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The HD arm of Hyundai has just released the first official images of the new, battery-electric HX19e mini excavator – the first ever production electric excavator from the global South Korean manufacturer.
The HX19e will be the first all-electric asset to enter series production at Hyundai Construction Equipment, with manufacturing set to begin this April.
The new HX19e will be offered with either a 32 kWh or 40 kWh li-ion battery pack – which, according to Hyundai, is nearly double the capacity offered by its nearest competitor (pretty sure that’s not correct –Ed.). The 40kWh battery allows for up to 6 hours and 40 minutes of continuous operation between charges, with a break time top-up on delivering full shift usability.
Those batteries send power to a 13 kW (17.5 hp) electric motor that drives an open-center hydraulic system. Hyundai claims the system delivers job site performance that is at least equal to, if not better than, that of its diesel-powered HX19A mini excavator.
To that end, the Hyundai XH19e offers the same 16 kN bucket breakout force and a slightly higher 9.4 kN (just over 2100 lb-ft) dipper arm breakout force. The maximum digging depth is 7.6 feet, and the maximum digging reach is 12.9 feet. Hyundai will offer the new electric excavator with just four selectable options:
- enclosed cab vs. open canopy
- 32 or 40 kWh battery capacity
All HX19es will ship with a high standard specification that includes safety valves on the main boom, dipper arm, and dozer blade hydraulic cylinders, as well as two-way auxiliary hydraulic piping allows the machine to be used with a range of commercially available implements. The hydraulics needed to operate a quick coupler, LED booms lights, rotating beacons, an MP3 radio with USB connectivity, and an operator’s seat with mechanical suspension are also standard.
Like its counterparts at Volvo CE, the new Hyundai excavator uses automotive-style charging ports to take advantage of existing infrastructure at fleet depots and public charging stations. More detailed specifications, dimensions, and pricing should be announced by bauma.
Electrek’s Take
The ability to operate indoors, underground, or in environments like zoos and hospitals were keeping noise levels down is of critical importance to the success of an operation makes electric equipment assets like these coming from Hyundai a must-have for fleet operators and construction crews that hope to remain competitive in the face of ever-increasing noise regulations. The fact that these are cleaner, safer, and cheaper to operate is just icing on that cake.
SOURCE | IMAGES: HD Hyundai; via Construction Index, Equipment World.
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