For the past week, OU Parking and Transit Services employees have used two electric cars to get around campus.

The Global Electric Motorcar e4 models were lent to OU for demonstration purposesby the Randall Noe Auto Group in Tyrell, Texas, said Leon Forcade, director of OU Fleet Services. GEM is a manufacturer of electric cars based in Fargo, N.D.

The Randall Noe Group sells many GEM cars to government agencies wanting an environmentally-friendly transportation alternative and individuals wanting more economical local transportation, said Ken See, fleet director for the distributor. See said they sell between 20 and 30 a month and always keep 15 in stock.

"If gas prices stay the way they do, my phone will keep ringing," See said.

A GEM electric vehicle can operate for one-third the cost in lifetime maintenance with one-eighth the fuel cost, according to Belinda Forknell, marketing manager of GEM. GEM cars are used by many universities and state and federal government fleets.

OU has been looking for an economical and environmentally-friendly transportation alternative to the gasoline-fueled small vehicle fleet used by parking service and grounds maintenance employees.

"It looks as though they could have some uses," Forcade said, "but we're looking for a vehicle we could test for a year or so. So far it's performed well, but we've only had it for a week."

Forcade said they have to consider factors such as durability and parts and maintenance costs, which they couldn't determine in such a short test.

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