GM, Segway "PUMA" Vehicle Unveiled (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

NEW YORK -- 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, N.H.-based maker of electric scooters. "Less emissions, less dependability on foreign oil and less space."

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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.

The companies did not release a projected cost for the vehicle, but said ideally its total operating cost _ including purchase price, insurance, maintenance and fuel _ would total between one-fourth and one-third of that of the average traditional vehicle.

Larry Burns, GM's vice president of research and development, and strategic planning, said the project is part of Detroit-based GM's effort to remake itself as a purveyor of fuel-efficient vehicles. If Hummer took GM to the large-vehicle extreme, Burns said, the PUMA takes GM to the other.

Ideally, the vehicles would also be part of a communications network that through the use of transponder and GPS technology would allow them to drive themselves. The vehicles would automatically avoid obstacles such as pedestrians and other cars and therefore never crash, Burns said.

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As a result, the PUMA vehicles would not need air bags or other traditional safety devices and include safety belts for "comfort purposes" only, he said.

Though the technology and its goals may seem like something out of science fiction, Burns said nothing new needs to be invented for it to become a reality.

"At this point, it's merely a business decision," he said.

See Phil LeBeau ride around in the PUMA:

Burns said that while putting that kind of communications infrastructure in place may still be a ways off for many American cities, the automaker is looking for a place, such as a college campus, where the vehicles could be put to use and grab a foothold in the market.

There's currently no timeline for production, Burns said.

The ambitious announcement also comes at a time when GM's future is hanging by a thread after receiving billions of dollars in federal aid and is in the midst of a vast restructuring that could still lead to a filing for bankruptcy protection.

Meanwhile, the ongoing recession has resulted in some of the lowest industrywide vehicle sales in more than a quarter century.

But Burns argued that some of the most revolutionary ideas have been born out of tough economic times.

"The next two months, and really 2009, is all about the reinvention of General Motors," he said.

Comments

[vrwc72]

Oh, and one more thing. I have to agree that Americans are way too fat and lazy to even get in one of these things. I noticed you actually have to move your arms and hands whereas with a scooter you only have to move your fingers to control a joystick. However, it might work if you hung a Whopper from a roof-mounted fishing rod in front of the windshield.

[vrwc72]

This is news? My grandma had one of those 10 years ago. It's called a Li'l Rascal.

[PaloAltoPunk]

The PUMA makes the Onion-- http://www.theonion.com/content/infograph/new_gm_segway_vehicle_coming

[Myshkin57]

I'm not sure why there's so much hostility towards this thing. I think it's a pretty interesting idea. Much like the Smart car, if there were enough of these replacing full-sized vehicles on the road, we could reduce congestion by having vehicles that take up less space on the road. And it seems pretty silly that people would think these too unsafe when we have motorcycles legally driving on the roads. Talk about deathtraps...

[kingcityguru]

Do you not see the bigger point made by this lunacy?

If this "vehicle" becomes the norm then the United States and the West would have lost the demographic battle against those that do not share our views -- where is the room for a child, let alone another person? God forbid, you have an actual family or live where it actually rains or snows. This hyper-wheelchair is less than useless.

I remember when the Segway came out, you could see magazine and newspaper articles saying it would change the face of locomotion Did that happen? This is more junk and every dollar GM puts into this is a dollar wasted.

[NoSocialism.com]

I'll take my 7000LBS Sequoia ANY day over this thing. The funny thing is that GM is losing Billions NOT because their Big Cars are not selling, if anything last year, the Silverado and the Impala, both V8 vehicles, were the BEST selling vehicles in the lineup. The problem is that they are forced to build LEGIONS of small cars that DON'T sell! Why? To meet regulatory average Fuel requirements. Oh, but wait, I thought that the problem was that there wasn't ENOUGH regulation... WRONG!!!! When Americans wants small cars, they buy Imports, when they want big cars (which there are more people wanting BIG cars than SMALL cars), They mostly buy American. Also, the BIG cars, like the Impala and the Silverado is where the profits are. There's no money in small cars. Too many companies are forced to make too many of them leading to a glut in the market for small cars which continuously drives their cost down below what it cost to produce them.

[Myshkin57]

The reason people buy small cars from foreign makers is that American automakers make cr a p small cars.

And, they could have been improving efficiency in their larger cars instead of being forced to make more of their c r a p smaller cars. It's not that there's a technology problem. They've had the technology to make those vehicles more efficient over-and-over.

Any time an automaker makes a car with the same efficiency and more power, they can also make a car with the greater efficiency and the same amount of power. They repeatedly picked the former route.

[watchTVgetSTUPID]

In spite of all his hot air talk, Al Gore would never drive this... because Gore is a hypocrite much like most cap&trade zealots.

[WorkingClass]

Is it just me or does this thing look like a death trap?

"The vehicles would automatically avoid obstacles such as pedestrians and other cars and therefore never crash."

Yeah right.

[Fabini]

Sorry to jump into this discussion so late. If someone else has stated the obvious, I apologize for my redundancy. The world has scooters. We don't need an over-engineered, over-priced, impossible to maintain at an affordable price, gyroscopic gismo to improve our lives.

Transport designer should look to India and the new Nano for direction.

[WorkingClass]

Thanks.

[realitylover]

This is what happens when two essentially failed companies get together over martinis, with an ample supply of gel pens and cocktail napkins. It looks like the ideal concept vehicle for Americans too lazy to get off their flabby asses and walk to a transit stop, or just walk/bicycle all the way to work. It's a one-man electric rickshaw. It's ugly and the idea is totally lame. It's even a bit insulting. If it were actually designed to serve the needs of a specific population less able to use their own muscle and bone to get around, that would be one thing. But the idea that this is any sort of a sustainable concept for mass transportation needs is ludicrous. This sort of foolishness will be stripped away when GM declares bankruptcy.

[SimJack]

Can we get chains for it in case it snows? What about dates, will this help us improve our love lives? Where do we put the keg? Can it even carry a keg? Can it survive a drive-by shooting? How do we keep our co-workers from running it up the flagpole as a prank? Does it come equipped with airbags? How is this better than a scooter chair? Where is the radio, heated cup holder and cigarette lighter?

[brandnewstuff]

Never been an wreck_ That is why it is always stated Beware of the Other Driver-

Case In Point- the Young Baseball player and his friends that DIED_ from a drunk driver? Hello!

This is not safe if a car from nowhere has side impact at a high speed

[Myshkin57]

Good thing motorcycles are illegal, too.

[brandnewstuff]

What is the aftermath in case of a wreck with anything? Did they test this product?

[walk0nwalls]

Okay, more importantly, this thing looks like ass.

[Lpeter]

America has way too many fat people that can't even fit in that thing.

Two wheels, give me a motorcycle any day.

That smart car makes more sense. Next .

[NYCartist]

It would be great to be able to get the same inventor's wheelchair, which is based on the same technology but is more expensive than the regular battery power wheelchairs. It raises up onto two wheels, using the same concept so it won't turn over and is the only wheelchair that can go over a sidewalk curb. If all wheelchair users could afford them......I met a guy using one, got it via compassion from an insurance agent working with a dealer (young guy left quadriplegic disabled after a car crash) and it costs as much as a car.

[Myshkin57]

I've seen those. They're amazing. You can get them to lean on two wheels without falling so that you can do things like give a natural, face-to-face handshake.

As for the cost, I think they're probably worth it to wheelchair-bound people. A car gets used for a few hours per day and mostly makes your life miserable. Those wheelchairs make people's lives a lot better. If I had a loved one in need of a wheelchair, I'd find the money to get them one of those.