Designed to alleviate traffic congestion and parking issues in urban environments, GM and Segway have partnered to create the PUMA. Built on the two wheel auto-balancing technology pioneered by Segway, the PUMA seats two and features a wheelie bar in the back. The vehicle features a wrap around roll bar and plastic front windshield along with seat belts that hang onto passenger arms. See a short video of the PUMA below:
Top speed for this new vehicle is electronically limited to 35 mph and the batteries are optimized for a 35 mile range. The design is best suited for neighborhood and community use and fits into the “neighborhood electric vehicle” category along with golf carts and other small EV’s. The seating design opens up new markets for Segway which has traditionally required a standing position, thus limiting elderly and handicapped persons who might otherwise benefit from personal transport.
Image source Reuters
The market for these low speed limited range vehicles may be questioned by some but retirement communities are certainly one possibility that has a growing market. In the past several years, modified Segways have been put to use by police, security, handicapped persons, and injured military veterans. This new model, having been made even more accessible, will certainly expand into these arenas.
Dean Kaman, the creator of Segway, has also introduced the iBOT which is a Segway wheelchair designed to climb stairs and facilitate handicapped mobility for paraplegic citizens. The price tag for the iBOT is $26,000 but with the assistance of insurance can certainly be much more affordable. The iBOT, much like the PUMA was a joint partnership between DEKA and Johnson and Johnson’s Independence Technology along with Segway.
Current gen Segways (normal ones) can be bought at select Best Buy stores in the US as covered in this article and go for $5,000 which is probably half the price of what a new PUMA will cost (official PUMA site here for more details as they unfold). Even Toyota is jumping on the “personal transport” band wagon and is developing something like a segway called the Winglet.
Learn more about Segway and the PUMA at the official Segway Website.
