Jeffbx
04-08-2009, 05:06 AM
GM, Segway Partner To Reinvent 'City Cars'
From The Associated Press
A solution to the world's urban transportation problems could lie in two wheels, not four, according to executives for General Motors Corp. and Segway Inc.
The companies announced Tuesday that they are working together to develop a two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle designed to be a fast, safe, inexpensive and clean alternative to traditional cars and trucks for cities across the world.
The Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility, or PUMA, project also would involve a vast communications network that would allow vehicles to interact with each other, regulate the flow of traffic and prevent crashes from happening.
"We're excited about doing more with less," said Jim Norrod, chief executive of Segway, the Bedford, New Hampshire-based maker of electric scooters. "Less emissions, less dependability on foreign oil and less space."
The 300-pound prototype runs on a lithium-ion battery and uses Segway's characteristic two-wheel balancing technology, along with dual electric motors. It's designed to reach speeds of up to 35 miles-per-hour and can run 35 miles on a single charge.
Read the rest of the article (http://www.wwj.com/GM--Segway-Partner-To-Reinvent--City-Cars-/4158722)
Interesting. They project costs to be "one fourth to one third the cost of the average traditional vehicle." So if they're comparing it to a 20-25k car, it's still well under $10k. Not bad for a big city car if you can find a place to park it. Not a lot of trunk space, tho....
From The Associated Press
A solution to the world's urban transportation problems could lie in two wheels, not four, according to executives for General Motors Corp. and Segway Inc.
The companies announced Tuesday that they are working together to develop a two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle designed to be a fast, safe, inexpensive and clean alternative to traditional cars and trucks for cities across the world.
The Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility, or PUMA, project also would involve a vast communications network that would allow vehicles to interact with each other, regulate the flow of traffic and prevent crashes from happening.
"We're excited about doing more with less," said Jim Norrod, chief executive of Segway, the Bedford, New Hampshire-based maker of electric scooters. "Less emissions, less dependability on foreign oil and less space."
The 300-pound prototype runs on a lithium-ion battery and uses Segway's characteristic two-wheel balancing technology, along with dual electric motors. It's designed to reach speeds of up to 35 miles-per-hour and can run 35 miles on a single charge.
Read the rest of the article (http://www.wwj.com/GM--Segway-Partner-To-Reinvent--City-Cars-/4158722)
Interesting. They project costs to be "one fourth to one third the cost of the average traditional vehicle." So if they're comparing it to a 20-25k car, it's still well under $10k. Not bad for a big city car if you can find a place to park it. Not a lot of trunk space, tho....