2002 e825 charger update

I am in the process of making the switch from Trojan flooded batteries to Deka 831 sealed Gel cell in my 2002 e825. After a post on the yahoo nev group I found out that some NG1 Zivan chargers can charge both chemistries and some require an update. Up until recently Gel batteries were an optional upgrade on Gems, flooded Trojans were standard equipment.

An easy way to tell if your charger is capable of charging both chemistries is to remove the gray dash top piece - the part with the cup holders and see if your charger has a selector switch. It comes out via 2 screws in the motor compartment. Below is a picture of the charger in my 2002 e825.

The cleaned black disc in the picture - the area where the dust has been removed is where the switch cover would be. This charger did not have the switch and required an update.

I spoke with Zivan and they said an update would be between $130-$170 And that it would be 4-6 weeks to complete. They also offer an expedite feature for $20 extra to complete it in 2-3 days. I paid the extra $20 and got the charger back in just over a week. It was $128 out the door. My initial contact with Elcon (the Zivan US rep) was via email then a phone call to confirm everything before shipping.

This update also includes a 7/14 day auto on timer for both types of batteries. This makes the charger switch on automatically after 7 or 14 days so the life of the battery is maintained while the Gem is not in use. This was an issue that basically killed the batteries in my GEM before I bought it.

The picture at left shows the same NG1 charger after the update. A switch has been added and a stick on cover has been added covering the switch. Additionally 2 white stickers have been placed on the cover of the charger indicating the update and settings for the charger.

Under the new cover a multi position selector switch is used to choose between a GEL or wet battery. To change between battery types one selects "C" for Gel batteries or "F" for flooded/wet batteries. (see photo below)

That's all there is to it.

The benefits of the update are:

• Ability to change between battery types and keep the same charger
  
• Self start up timer to automatically reengage charger as to prolong battery life when not in use over an extended period of time
• Better updated charging curve for the specific battery type and brands

12 volt accessory port

I recently decided that I wanted to add a 12 volt accessory port to my 2002 e825 GEMcar that I recently acquired. The speedomter/odometer isn't accurate due to the past owners mods and I thought with GPS price dropping I could use an inexpensive one for an accurate speedometer and tripometer.

I also wanted a flat one that would fit in the glove box and if stole wouldn't be the biggest lost. Although the GPS has a battery I didn't want to have to worry about charging the battery elsewhere. I asked on the Yahoo NEV Group about finding a 12volt source on my 2002 GEM.

Rick, one of the most knowledgeable GEM guys out there said there may simply be a purple(+) & black(-) cable by the DC to DC converter board. And guess what there was. Different boards handle it different ways and I guess mine is one of the older ones

Some things to consider before buying a NEV

With gas approaching $5 a gallon I've been getting more serious inquiries about owning a GEM. There are some things that one needs to be told about that may not be obvious initially.

Yes no gasoline but . .
You use batteries. I think I saw somewhere on the net that it is under a dime a mile to run the GEM. Still a great deal but eventually the batteries need to be replaced and they are expensive, about $1000-1200 depending on which battery you purchase (flooded or Gel). Don't buy cheap inappropriate batteries, you will regret it. My GEM has about 1700 miles on it and I bought it with 50miles on it and was a year old. Batteries will go bad whether they are used or not. How you drive will effect their longevity also.

Battery life
I currently have, as of this writing, approx 1700 miles on my in 15 months. I still am not sure about how many miles I will go before the batteries need to be replaced. Some folks on the Yahoo group claim upwards of 9,ooo miles on their batteries. Mine probably will not last that long because they sat for a year before I bought them and with my mods I think the life expectancy is reduced. Batteries are rated in charging cycles and the GEM is rated at approx 1000. That means the battery can be recharged about 1000 before it needs to be replaced or worn out which ever is first.

Safety
An accident in a GEM (or any NEV) would be very bad, you have virtually no protection. Pay extra attention while driving to make sure the other drivers see you and do not get caviler in a 25MPH car. One good thing about the GEM is that it is an eye catcher.

Time traveled
Depending on where you drive and how you get there you may need to allow more time for travel. With a stock GEM you will have a maximum speed of 25mph on flat ground, it will be less when going up a hill and it is governored to 25mph coming down a hill, though it will be charging the batteries. In short. your maximum speed is 25mph

Rated with a 30 mile range
This is in a perfect world and will vary with conditions: road surface, is the ground flat or inclined, temperature, how you drive, and number of occupants in the GEM. We have a 4 seater and I notice a significant difference in battery life when all four of us are in it. If you can get to a location (re: work) and charge it for a few hours you are all the better. Personally I would rate my range in the 20 mile range. As the batteries drain the GEM loses speed so it becomes impractical to drive much farther.

Driving Habits
Your driving habits will effect range too. Drive like a lead foot and the batteries will drain much sooner. It's just like a gas car, mpg are related to how you drive.

An unmodified GEM has a maximum speed of 25mph so you want to be courteous to other drivers by think about using alternative routes. Unless it's rush hour and I'm not the slowest vehicle on the road I tend to take a side road to get where I'm going. Yielding or pulling over when cars can not pass is a good idea too. I also will scan ahead, by that I mean if I see a traffic light up ahead and there is no way I'm gonna make it I will coast or drive slowly to try and time the light change. With gas prices as high as they are now I've noticed that a lot of people are driving slower.

Where to find & price
If you want new they are handled by certain Chrysler and Dodger dealers. Visit gemcar.com to locate a dealer. Used GEM can be found on ebay or Craigslist.org. A used GEM should go for about 3-$4000 for a 2-seater & 5-$6000 for the 4 seater depending on year, options, and condition of batteries. The good news if your buying used they do not seem to hold their resale value

Cost to operate
As mentioned above battery replacement can be a big hidden cost of owning a GEM. Electricity isn't free so one must calculate the cost to charge the NEV. Gemcar.com has a cost calculator if you know your electricity rate per kilowatt hour. According to the Yahoo group it is around .08 cents per mile to run a GEM

MODS
Yes GEMs can be moded. Some more easily than others, depending on the year. Arguably the easiest mode is to increase the tire/wheel diameter. This would increase your speed anywhere from 3 to 5MPH. The downside is your speedometer will no longer be accurate. Another favorite option is to replace the motor with a more powerful one. GEM come with a 5HP (I think starting in the 2008 model year a 7HP was optional, the earliest GEMs may have had 3.5HP motors). Replacing the 5HP motor with a 7.5 or 8.5 HP motor will increase speed but if used aggressively it will significantly deplete the batteries range.

Creature Comforts
A GEM has many options available. Any kind of door on a GEM is optional. Hard doors need to be installed at the factory. Soft and semi-hard doors can be purchased aftermarket. I bring this up because one's hair is a mess in a GEM without doors after traveling. Stereo, CD player, heat, heated seats, it's all available but remember . . . . it's a golf cart

Conclusion
The GEM is not totally green because chances are your powerplant uses fossil fuels of some type to power your home which intern charge your GEM. But you are not idling at a stop light either. The other thing is your should look at it, for most commuters, as a secondary car. by that I mean not your primary car - unless you regularly stay close to home.

8 miles to work on only 2 bars

I recently took my GEM to work which is 8 miles away. I have the 7.5HP motor and 23" wheels. If I drive my GEM right I can drain the batteries in less than 10 miles.

I made a decision to drive rather conservatively and take it easy on the batteries. I live straight up a hill and coasted down, as it's a first mile or so. I still had to stop a few times on the downhill because of stop signs. After the hill it is up and over the 5 freeway and it is flat for the next 6-7 miles.

DRIVING AHEAD
Since this is my regular route that I drive to work everyday (a small portion is normally freeway) I was aware of the traffic light durations. My approach was to not gun the GEM off the start but try to maintain 25MPH. When I had a unimpeded run I would eventually get up to 30MPH or so. My GEM can easily maintain 30 - 32MPH on the flats but the idea was if I knew I would never make a light off in the distance I would coast to the light and conserve power. More often then not the light would change as I got there. It was about noon so traffic was light so I wasn't in anyones way. Had I not played the lights the way I did I would have expelled much more energy and probably not arrived at my destination any quicker.

I was able to charge at work so I had a full charge coming home. This was at night (ie; lights on) and because of the mile or so uphill near home it took 3 bars to get home. I did the same coasting thing to lights as much as was reasonable practical. Again I maintained a 25-30 mph.

I'm hoping that with this kind of driving I can get close to 20 miles per charge and still have the benfit of the 7.5hp motor when needed.