LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The latest “green machine” on the New Mexico State University (NMSU) campus is actually white, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News. In fact, the newly acquired Global Electric Motorcar (GME) is the latest in a series of ongoing efforts to reduce the university community’s dependence on traditional fuels for vehicles and make as small an impact on the environment as possible, said Barry Law, director of transportation services for NMSU.

With a base cost of around $9,600, it’s the latest addition in the campus’ alternative-fuel vehicle fleet. A charge will power the vehicle for roughly 30 miles, and can be recharged overnight. With the addition of the GEM, the fleet is roughly 14 percent alternative-fuel vehicles.

The university plans to purchasing more GEM electric cars in the future. Classified as a low-speed vehicle, the GEM plugs into a standard electrical outlet each night to charge. It has a maximum speed of 25 miles an hour, with a range of 30 miles.

The transition of NMSU’s vehicle fleet to more environmentally friendly cars and trucks and the increase in shuttle routes coincide with President Michael Martin’s recent pledge to neutralize the university’s global warming emissions.

The three new bus routes will make it easier for students and employees to get to work and class from campus housing and the university’s outer parking lots near the Pan American Center. The goal is to reduce carbon emissions from vehicles by reducing the amount of traffic through campus, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News.

The university will soon switch to blend of gasoline made of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent traditional gasoline. The university is also working toward using a blend of diesel, with 20 percent of the mixture coming from biodiesel.