Zoomi Life

The Segway Transporter became the epitome of nerd-dom and remains mildly popular, though it’s price tag and limited usefulness have greatly hindered it’s appeal.  Using the technology from the Segway, however, the company has teamed up with rickety auto giant General Motors to produce the Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility project (PUMA).

Even the highest-ranking Congressman would be proud of that say-nothing acronym.

Think of this as a Segway Transporter with a seat and a roll cage. While still basically 2-wheeled, the units will be capable of higher speeds and slightly longer ranges, though they’re still neighborhood electrics.  Designed to go into traffic and use bicycle lanes, the little units will be capable of 35mph and 25 miles per charge.

Not surprisingly, the U.S. won’t likely be the first target market for these machines. Singapore is where GM’s VP for R&D Jim Burns says it will likely go first.  There it could be used in dense urban settings as personal transport as well as a rickshaw puller.

Looking at the overall EV market, though, it’s easy to see that there is very little demand for NEVs in most of the world. In the U.S., especially, those who own low-speed neighborhood electrics treat them as toys and novelties, not really as mandatory transportation.  In short, golf carts get as much respect.

While GM and Segway are fiddling with the PUMA, many others are entering the same market (and cheaper) with electric-assisted bicycles, 3-wheeled trikes, and small scooters.  It’s difficult to see how the PUMA could compete with these obviously lower-cost, more efficient options.

Source: 1, 2