tekHPoynt

T
he two tech-giant in automotive and futuristic products unveiled the Personal Urban
Mobility and Accesibility (PUMA). The joint venture companies (GM and Segway Inc)annouced on tuesday (April 07, 2009) 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.

Both claimed that this one of the alternatives to the world's urban transportation problems. The soultion could lie in two wheels not four, according to executives for General Motors Corp and Segway Inc.

The 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.


The 136kg 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 56km/h and can run 56km 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.

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. it also said that the vehicles would automatically avoid obstacles such as pedestrians and other cars and therefore never crash. As a result, the PUMA vehicles would not need air bags or other traditional safety devices and include safety belts for "comfort purposes" only.

This is just one of the few of the most revolutionary ideas have been born out of tough economic times, an expert said.