When Segway introduced the Segway personal mobility vehicle in the early 2000s, it was touted as something that will change the way the world transported itself. That never happened largely because the Segway is so expensive. In South Africa you can order one for about R40 000 each depending on the model. This will hardly solve the third world’s mobility problems, which is why the Segway is now a “lifestyle” vehicle bought by rich golfers and people who live in expensive estates.
Now General Motors has teamed up with Segway to build a more integrated transport device for one or two people. The project is called Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility or PUMA (not sure if there won’t be any copyright issues with the apparel brand there).
The vehicle runs on an electric motor with batteries and it also has electric steering. Vehicle to vehicle communication is included for those who want to chat as they swish around town in their PUMAs. The companies say it will go up to 56km/h and the battery has a range of up to 56km before it needs recharging.
“Project P.U.M.A. represents a unique solution to moving about and interacting in cities, where more than half of the world’s people live,” said Larry Burns, GM vice president of research and development, and strategic planning. “Imagine small, nimble electric vehicles that know where other moving objects are and avoid running into them. Now, connect these vehicles in an Internet-like web and you can greatly enhance the ability of people to move through cities, find places to park, and connect to their social and business networks.”
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