G.M. and Segway Build an EV

G.M. and Segway Build an EV Only Woz Could Love
By Chuck Squatriglia April 07, 2009



General Motors and the people who make the world's coolest scooter have developed a two-wheeled, two-seat electric car that's essentially a big honkin' Segway, which makes us wonder how long it'll be before Woz is playing polo with one.

GM and Segway pulled the sheet off the unusual, albeit innovative, EV on Tuesday morning at the New York Auto Show, proclaiming the car of the future may have two wheels, not four. The beleaguered automaker says the concept vehicle, dubbed Project PUMA - for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility - is just the thing for navigating congested cities with ease.

"Project PUMA represents a unique solution to moving about and interacting in cities, where more than half of the world's people live," Larry Burns, company VP of research and development and strategic planning, said in a statement.

Perhaps the only thing wilder than the styling is the idea the cars would communicate with each other wirelessly to regulate speed, reduce congestion and prevent accidents.

"Imagine small, nimble electric vehicles that know where other moving objects are and avoid running into them," Burns said. "Now connect those 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."

A car that can Tweet?

PUMA uses a lithium ion battery and something GM calls "digital smart energy management" to deliver a range of 35 miles. Twin motors drive the twin wheels at up to 35 mph, and PUMA features the same balancing technology that keeps you from landing on your face while riding a Segway.

"We are excited to be working together to demonstrate a dramatically different approach to urban mobility," Jim Norrod, Segway CEO, said. "There's an emotional connection you get when using Segway products. The Project PUMA prototype vehicle embodies this through the combination of advanced technologies that Segway and GM bring to the table to complete the connection between the rider, environment and others."

You're definitely going connected to the environment in a PUMA unless GM slaps some doors on it.

PUMA is just a concept at this point, and given GM's precarious financial standing, we'd be surprised if it is anything more than a "wouldn't this be cool..." kind of project. Neither company said how much the 300-pound vehicle might cost should it see production, but according to the Associated Press they suggested the total operating cost - purchase price, insurance, maintenance and fuel - would be one-third to one-fourth the cost of an average car.








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Discuss!

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'll give GM some credit for trying to do something different other than hemorrhage money, and make cars that nobody wants to buy (the HHR) but in this case I think they are going to realize that a car conducive to city driving, while effective in Europe, will not see the same popularity in the USA. As it is, NYC is congested, and when you consider a vehicle like this, too wide to fit in bike lanes, and too slow to compete with traffic, it becomes an infrastructure problem of the city. Cities in the US were not designed with these vehicles in mind, and it would be a hell of a challenge to make the initiative to do so right now. Maybe that can create jobs for city planners or the transportation department, but this is an ambitious effort from a company waiting to be euthanized.

[maxbailey]

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Fuck me. Someone's got their grown up head on!

Build them and nobody will come.

this thread obviously FAILS

nobody wants to read this shit

[ThatHaole]

Hard to believe they went tits up...

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BWAHAHAHA .... no doubt