Campus Safety has many different modes of transportation for responding to an emergency. However, one in particular has caught the eyes of students.
The Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), seen both parked in the Campus Security Parking lot and patrolling campus, is not only smaller than Campus Security’s other vehicles but also more sustainable.
According to gemcar.com, “GEM is a sustainable EV that doesn’t sacrifice quality, payload capacity, or the ability to seat up to six people. With zero CO2 emissions and optional solar panels, GEM enables cities, communities, and campuses to meet their sustainability goals.”
Chris Buckley, the director of Campus Safety, provided input on the purpose of the vehicle and its benefits and drawbacks.
“Regular vehicles use a lot of gas and we wanted a vehicle that had multiple purposes for us,” Buckley said. “I think it serves as a big benefit. It allows us to go to areas we wouldn’t usually be able to go and could possibly make response times faster.”
“They have their pluses and their minuses,” he continued. “For example, it doesn’t have four-wheel drive and has small tires.”
Buckley explained how the GEM cars have been on campus since around 2020 and before. He also added that there used to be two GEM cars at the college and they have been here for quite some time.
Katherine Witte, the sustainability office coordinator, talked about other measures taken to reduce Keene’s carbon footprint.
“I do think that electric cars are a benefit here at Keene and last year my services sent out a survey to gauge interest in electric vehicles,” Witte said. “On campus, we use recycling and compost our garbage. We also use LR-100, which is a biofuel.”
“I think the campus administration is very invested in pushing forward our goals for sustainability, looking into more sustainable living conditions and more options for the future,” Witte added. “I believe we’re moving in the right direction.”
Chloe Erno can be contacted at
cerno@kscequinox.com
