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A MAYORS NEW LIMOUSINE

A MAYORS NEW LIMOUSINE

Times Union * February 11, 2009

BRUNSWICK, FL -- For the next two months, Brunswick, Florida Mayor Bryan Thompson will be driving a limo that has no doors. Richard Van Iderstyne, co-owner of Red Bug Motors on Jekyll Island handed Mayor Thompson the key to a GEMe4 electric car that he'll use to limo around the city for two months.

The Street Legal four-seater has a 7-horsepower electric motor under its mini hood that will take Thompson about 30 miles between charges. It costs 38 cents at current rates to charge the car's six, 12-volt batteries, said Richard Van Iderstyne. Red Bug Motors, also rents the electric cars on Jekyll Island. Thompson said the car should fit his needs. "I'm pretty much confined to the city limit most days,'' he said.

It didn't take Thompson long to figure out he was unlikely to get any speeding tickets, because the top speed is about 25 mph.

As the motor was in its full throttle, low whine, Thompson looked down at the speedometer and said, "Hey, look. I'm at 26 mph, Sweet.''

Clayton Porter, Red Bug Motors' other co-owner, said the name of the company has a history on Jekyll Island. In 1910, the island's carpenter introduced to the island's collection of millionaire owners a small open car called the Red Bug that was powered by a gas engine. It was replaced in 1925 by a slower electric version.

Manufactured by Global Electric Motorcars, the GEMe4 "is the premier of the plug-in electrics,'' Porter said.

The car retails for about $14,000 with options but some versions are $10,000, Van Iderstyne said. Among the options are doors.

For more information please contact:

Global Electric Motorcars 1301 39th Street N, Suite 2 Fargo, ND 58102 Contact: Richard Van Iderstyne, Co-owner. Tel: (888) 871-4367 Internet: URL http://www.gemcar.com/default.asp (Click!)

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