MSNBC.com from The Associated Press
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.
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Totally Cool. Can’t fit 12 Billion lard asses on earth without this type of solution.
Might work in India or China.
I’d rather have a Mercedes golf cart. Although I guess that abomination would fit in my trunk.
And I thought the SMART car was small. Can you even have sex in that thing?
i have been playing around with a very similar idea with a stroller. cool idea, now i wonder if they can sell the american public on it.
Name of the thing: Death Trap I
#6–JCD==”Death Trap”==silly response. Its all relative to what most of the other vehicles are and that will change over time. Its much safer than a stand up segway, or bicycles, or walking.
Anything less than a tank is a death trap by your thinking, and tanks have drawbacks too.
Two worthless companies working together…I can’t help but laugh. Maybe these will be good for rich people to play polo in (like they do with the segway).
Alloy wheels, custom paint, sound, that could be cool.
Its the new “IT” V2.0!
This is what the government bailout of GM is going to bring you. You will get a nearly useless vehicle that the mainstream media fawn over but will inevitably be a huge disappointment and a gigantic sales flop, much like the original Segway.
This is your tax dollars at work, people. An electric wheelchair for two. I am totally underwhelmed.
After years of forcing all kinds of new safety regulations down auto manufacturers gullets to make cars safer and safer (read heavier and more expensive), now the Dems are primed to turn a blind eye to people driving electric wheelchairs in traffic. Hypocrites.
#10–Mark==DAMN those seat belts. Fascist governments interfering with your god given right to head trauma and GM’s profit motive to provide it.
Silly to be swayed by pop media you are.
#10 – Mark T. – Its the new “IT” V2.0!
SHIT™ for short.
A few weeks ago, the Indian car company, TATA, announced a $2,000 car – and immediately got dumped all over by environmentalists and everyone else saying it’s unsafe.
Now GM comes out with a sit-down Segway, that seats 2 – as long as one arm and leg hangs out the door (oh wait a sec, there is no door). This is safe?
The 35mph speed limit isn’t that bad a limitation – considering the average car speed during a regular commute is around 20mph.
I like it . Totally cool for my urban lifestyle and I’d consider this.
As pointed out not great for suburban wife to haul her ass to the mall but a great example of American ingenuity.
bobbo, do you not see the hypocracy of the nanny federal government condoning people driving wheelchairs in city traffic?
If I drive without a seatbelt, it is Click or Ticket. If I drive a golf cart down the highway, it is an automatic arrest. Now they want us to drive electric wheelchairs?!? WTF!
I would bet big money that GM panicked after the fallout from the executives flying private jets to Congress to beg for bailout money. GM execs are now scrambling to make the Greenies in Congress that, hey, they are doing SOMETHING!
I bet this thing did not exist four months ago. This is a knee jerk reaction to garner the favor of Congress and Lord Obama. I bet the engineers at GM worked around the clock to put this thing together, scavenging the Segway parts bin.
Wait until Nader gets a hold of this thing. Unsafe at any speed. Only this time it will be true.
This 2 wheel car is about as useful as a tandem bicycle, except it is 10x less efficient with your money.
Well done.
If GM was smart they would have let Meredith drive the thing to show how easy it was to control and work around the city. It has potential for running errands around town. I wished they would have been more specific on the price rather than “It will cost you 1/3 of the operation of a normal vehicle.” Yeah, but what does it cost to buy????
So where are we going to drive this thing?
On the city streets? Not enough top end nor acceleration. I’ll bet there are golf carts which have more of both, and they are banned for street use in most cities, with the exception of small back streets.
On the sidewalks? No way. This, along with the price, is why Segway didn’t meet expectations. The Segway was TOO fast and had to be speed restricted to be allowed in the cities where they can use the sidewalks.
http://walksf.org/segways/index.htm
Not to mention the Segway is renowned for it’s meager battery life. So how far can you go?
Ugghh. This is simply a publicity stunt.
Mercedes S class at 155 MPH vs GM 2 wheeled turd…
John is right.
I could see it working for urban commutes – in countries where people know how to drive.
That leaves out the United States.
With a big push towards electric cars hopefully the Electron Fairy will visit often with some spare current. Those pushing the hardest for electric transport seem to be the most against coal and/or nuclear power.
#7 Bobbo thinks 100% of the drivers will change over. Better think about that a bit more – there is no way this motorized rickshaw will make it in the mid-west, Texas, or even California.
The New York Times fawning article said 6 PUMA’s would fit in a standard parking space.
Well, one SUV would easily crush 6 PUMA’s into a size equal to a standard parking space.
The article brags about the low cost of operating the motorized rickshaw compared to a full size car. But they conveniently avoid discussing the safety factor and other government mandated features which adds thousands of dollars to the cost of a car.
This turkey is why GM is doing so poorly in the market.
I wonder if GM’s part of the project is to add a third wheel in front?
The first time a saw a Segway it was a prototype wheelchair and they were talking about how it would revolutionise life for paraplegics. I haven’t seen one since. What happened?
I don’t understand why nobody has brought this up…. what is wrong with motorcycles? They have two wheels, they’re cheap, and don’t need any fancy segway technology… oh wait, now I get the scam.
I don’t understand why nobody has brought this up…. what is wrong with motorcycles? They are also “two-wheeled” vehicles… and are much smaller and probably cheaper.. and you don’t look as stupid.
Can we dispense with these nincompoop car ideas, remove cars from the urban/suburban streets & spend money on the real available solution: mass transit!
#22–JB==you say: “#7 Bobbo thinks 100% of the drivers will change over.” /// That would be one extension. I was thinking years into the future for certain urban centers that would be the case but not exclusive anything except very light personal transportation WITH heavier vehicles going very slowly during off hours.
You must think I am as stupid as you are to think these light personal transports are suitable to intercity transport. How silly.
The main problem with GM’s idea of the future is that they aren’t going to be around in the future so they won’t be developing this abomination.
meh – the thing looks like a big garbage can
They can do double-duty not only as your vehicle but as your coffin as well.
If you die in hitting a pothole, they can hold your funeral service in real-time and then bury you in the thing.
Very environmentally friendly plus helps reduce the human population.