Add as a preferred source on Google

Going Green is Golden

  • 05/01/18
GEM car

By choosing clean and sustainable GEM vehicles, NSU eliminated the need for volatile fuel storage and oil changes within their LSV fleet.

When Norfolk State University’s (NSU) facilities management set out to reduce operating costs, cut emissions and noise, and improve the safety of their low-speed-vehicle (LSV) fleet, big changes started to happen. The school now owns and operates 22 Polaris GEM LSV vehicles to help with grounds maintenance, utility support, and passenger transportation.

In 2014, NSU acquired a fleet of 10 GEMs that were used primarily for maintenance. By the end of 2017, they added 12 more GEMs, including a six-passenger transport vehicle. Continued attention to improvements has meant the addition of great features—including three-point safety belts and larger capacity batteries. These features have expanded the way NSU uses the GEM.

According to Dia M. Hendricks-Hayes, director of Administrative Services, the goal of acquiring the GEM vehicles was to reduce emissions and noise while containing operating costs and improving fleet safety. GEM vehicles helped NSU meet all those requirements with the added benefit of street legal features that provide flexibility in day-today operations. NSU employees now move around the campus quickly, in traffic, on sidewalks, and even across turf.

Hendricks-Hayes adds that employees who regularly use the vehicles love them, especially the flexibility, range, and maneuverability around campus. As a result, the number of departments purchasing GEM vehicles has increased, adding to the university’s fleet.

By choosing clean and sustainable GEM vehicles, NSU eliminated the need for volatile fuel storage and oil changes within their LSV fleet. Maintenance workers can now focus on the needs of the campus, rather than spending time maintaining the fleet that allows them to do their work—effectively lowering ownership costs by saving on maintenance. NSU is also promoting energy independence by using alternative fuel vehicles with no emissions.

www.GEMCar.com

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management May 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • UNT Dallas Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for $100M STEM Building

    The University of North Texas at Dallas in Dallas, Texas, recently celebrated the opening of its new, $100-million STEM Building, according to local news. The ceremony on Dec. 2 preceded the first day of classes in the facility on Jan. 12, 2026.

  • California K–12 District Opens New Athletic Complex, Gym

    The San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD) in San Mateo, Calif., recently announced the completion of two new athletics facilities: a new gymnasium at Burlingame High School, and a new athletic training complex at San Mateo High School, according to a news release.

  • Malibu High School Campus Completes $102M Phase 1 of Construction

    Malibu High School in Malibu, Calif., recently announced that it has completed phase 1 of construction for its new campus, a news release reports. The first phase consisted of developing and modernizing the site of a former elementary school into a new, 70,000-square-foot, two-story facility.

  • North Dakota State University Completes Music School Renovation

    North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D., recently announced that construction on the Challey School of Music has finished, according to a news release. The university partnered with Foss Architecture & Interiors for design and Kraus-Anderson for construction services, and construction began in July 2024.

Digital Edition