The future of short-distance travel in cities from San Francisco to New York City may be within reach thanks to Project P.U.M.A (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility). This collaboration between General Motors and Segway will produce two-wheeled vehicles that could be used to cover city streets or bridge gaps between public transit and work. The template for Project P.U.M.A. is the Segway Personal Transporter, the two-wheeled conveyance that has been used in major cities, college campuses and places like Disney World since its introduction in 2001.
Project P.U.M.A will bring together the best elements of the Segway Personal Transporter and GM’s on-board vehicle programs. Segway has produced more than 60,000 lithium-ion batteries for use in its products as well as third-party use, demonstrating its ability to power urban vehicles. The creations of Project P.U.M.A. will use the self-balancing system from Segway’s signature product. This balancing system keeps riders from falling too far forward or backward as they reach cruising speed.
While Segway may seem to be carrying the lion’s share of the load on Project P.U.M.A., General Motors will work to connect the P.U.M.A. prototype to other vehicles and centralized systems. GM vehicles use OnStar on-board communications to speak with police, fire and emergency medical personnel after accidents and break-ins. This level of connectivity will be used in Project P.U.M.A. to “speak” with public utility grids, rental stations and other interfaces.
The Project P.U.M.A. prototype will be designed to hold two passengers, creating the possibility of taxi services and transport sharing. Segway and GM will focus on getting this transporter up to speed on local streets with a goal of 35 miles per hour. Since this vehicle will not be used for long-distance travel or commuting, the projected range of 35 miles per charge is sufficient for several trips around the city during the work day.
We focus so often on hybrid vehicles, public transportation and infrastructure that innovations like Project P.U.M.A. get overlooked. From its digital dashboard to its smart battery management, Project P.U.M.A. seems like a natural solution to what GM and Segway call the problem of the last mile. If Project P.U.M.A. comes to fruition, it is easy to imagine a mixture of publicly operated Segways running alongside bicycles, Segway taxis and other clean-energy vehicles. While the picture above may raise some eyebrows from traditionalists, Project P.U.M.A. represents the next frontier for the green vehicle revolution.
But then won’t the parking lots be cogested with these tiny little things…
oh i am all for it…because these are green…:)