Don't worry, we checked our calendars: April 1 was last week, and this is all too real. General Motors has teamed with Segway on a new personal transportation vehicle called PUMA (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility).
Unlike the current Segway, which is built for one, the PUMA carries two people, has a canopy cover and, most importantly, can reach speeds of 35 mph, making it a possible car replacement for urbanites. Its battery has a range of 35 miles. Manhattan, for example, is only 13 miles long.
GM says the cost would be about one-third of a typical car purchase. We're not sure if it means the average price of cars sold, which is just over $20,000, or what a typical economy car costs, which is around $15,000.
While there are many practical issues to consider with the PUMA — like what do you do in cold weather, where do you park it, where do you charge it, etc. — there is a need for vehicles like this globally. While it's unlikely there will be a large market for the PUMA in the U.S., many Asian countries are struggling with a boom in automotive traffic.
The technology in the PUMA allows for the vehicles to "talk" to each other, which would theoretically ease congestion and prevent crashes.
During last summer's gas-price hike, gas scooters from Honda and Vespa were nearly impossible to find. Hipsters in our hometown of Chicago often choose these affordable modes of transportation over economy cars to save on parking and gas costs. We wonder if the PUMA could attract that market. |
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