GM and Segway's P.U.M.A. makes its stage debut (with video!)
by Paul Miller 
posted Apr 7th 2009 at 11:06AM
Segway obviously brought the two-wheel mojo, and seems responsible for most of what's being shown at the moment. As opposed to the Segway's tilt-and-cringe system of navigation, the P.U.M.A. has a more regular steering wheel, but while they're currently demonstrating it with Segway-style acceleration, they plan on swapping that for "Nintendo-style" buttons behind the wheel for acceleration and braking. For GM's part, they plan to integrate its "connected vehicles" technologies to improve safety and efficiency -- and we might not see P.U.M.A. on the road until they can pull it off. The car will not only communicate with other cars and with GPS, but will sense and stop for pedestrians. They plan to show a connected version that will be available for test drives by Real Actual Humans this coming fall, and then next year will come the scariest of all unveilings: GM styling. Right now this is just a chassis, GM plans on slapping on all sorts of "fashionable" candy shells, and if the incredibly unrealistic and "futuristic" renders we saw are any indication (see the gallery below), we'd really rather do without.
The biggest obstacle to commercialization, however, is the lack of infrastructure: P.U.M.A. in its current incarnation is designed for for bike lanes, and the first cities to get it will be ones with existing, comprehensive bike lanes -- not as much of an obstacle in Europe, but quite the stretch for most American cities. Still, the mathematics are quite alluring, with a 35 mile range at 35 mph for a 35 cent charge -- even us mouth-breathing Statesiders can understand that.
Update: We added a video after the break, along with a couple outdoor shots in the gallery. The thing really does look and operate like a two-person, sit-down, Woz-free Segway. You have been warned.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
greggsymington @ Apr 7th 2009 11:10AM
Where's Kamen? He's usually all over big press stuff.
Robert @ Apr 7th 2009 11:54AM
Good question. This has the most potential of having his dream of a mass accepted Segway. I wonder if his not being there indicates that he doesn't believe that it will be commercialized.
mazuko @ Apr 7th 2009 2:46PM
This is themst useless and stupid idea I have seen in a long time. A failing auto company pairing with a failed nerd scooter maker to make a upright rolling penis mobile..
Seriously now think about it, there is nothing cool about this. it is just plain stupid
mrbob1000 @ Apr 7th 2009 4:49PM
Kamen is probably gearing up for atlanta. (people in FIRST know what i mean)
Frogboy @ Apr 7th 2009 10:20PM
@mazuko
If you want cool, buy a Hummer, Camero or Corvette. GM makes those too. Although if they annouced anything about any of these cars, everyone would bash them for not making something like this Segway thing. Go figure.
Ken @ Apr 7th 2009 11:11AM
Seriously GM?
NHAnimator @ Apr 7th 2009 11:58AM
Yeah. Please, please, please let this company just fade away.
I could probably make a suggestion that they spend their money on better things these days. Then I remembered that it's MY money.
Wwhat @ Apr 7th 2009 12:09PM
On behalf of obama I'd like to say I now confess I made a big mistake keeping that company afloat and apologize and take full responsibility (in the politician's way by doing nothing but say that).
Aaron @ Apr 7th 2009 1:42PM
yeah, totally should have let GM tank and watch it drag the US down with it.... /sarcasm
Ken @ Apr 7th 2009 1:59PM
"yeah, totally should have let GM tank and watch it drag the US down with it.... /sarcasm"
Yeah, cuz propping up companies based on failed business models and then using them as your nation's economic foundation makes even more sense.
Temple @ Apr 7th 2009 11:11AM
Really cool and all, but 35mph is kinda-half assed.
Its not really fast enough for a normal road, and its too fast for a side-walk.
humps @ Apr 7th 2009 11:44AM
35mph is fast enough if you're travelling within the city, which 35miles range indicates thats the target. Don't forget small cc scooters/mopeds does about the same speed and they are sold by the bucket in Chinese, Taiwanese, Italian cities as well as London.
The problem is WIDTH. It is way too wide to squeeze between the cars at the traffic lights. So if you're stuck in a normal car lanes, you're just as slow. Neither can you pass a slow cyclist in a cycle lane given the typical width of cycle lanes. But it will have to stop at the red lights and it will block those cyclists trying to jump the lights, which is A Good Thing!
It should have the passenger behind the driver and like a tricycle for balance. Oh wait, that's called the Piaggio MP3! Or the future electric version of it!
lalondegeoffrey @ Apr 7th 2009 11:58AM
So, how the hell do you stop quickly? The torque generated by 300 lbs or so above the pivot point would be way to massive for the motor to stop it in a reasonable distance... So unless it get landed onto one of those seconds sets of wheels, (where it would still have trouble not flipping over) it would take stupid long time to decelerate in the event of an impending crash.
Wwhat @ Apr 7th 2009 12:12PM
To facilitate use on public roads they made the batteries removable even after an accident so that you can just be buried in the thing without bothering the fire department with hours of work grinding your remains out of there.
Boudu @ Apr 7th 2009 1:18PM
Hell NO is 35mph enough for a city. Even in the city I hit 40-50mph very frequently. Most scooters hit 50mph easy. The most impractical thing about having one of these in the city is that there is no place to charge the damn thing. And unlike a Segway I can't keep it in my apartment, and I wouldn't want to keep this parked outside for crooks to steal.
If you're living in the suburbs you could keep it in your garage and charge it up there, but driving around in the burbs at 35mph is a nuisance. A bicycle or scooter gets the job done better and is a fraction of the price. Only thing I can think this would be useful for is replacing those golf carts security people drive around in, but those golf carts are already electric and can hold a ton of things in back.
I would HATE to be driving behind this.
Darrell @ Apr 7th 2009 9:52PM
I have no idea how they're going to make this thing street legal. Many states have outright banned the segway, others have made them registered vehicles, rendering them useless. This thing would be autobanned in NY and many other states I'm sure
orbital @ Apr 8th 2009 9:44AM
the point needs to be made again. this is perfectly suited to our under utilized bike lanes. bikes are excellent, green, effective transportation but not everyone can show up dirty, sweaty and wet to work. also, I can't drop my kid off at [insert hobby/sport] practice on a bike.
I, like many people are annoyed when I see one or two people take their giant SUV just down the street, it's wasteful. this could be an alternative for those people. yes, it's lazy and slack either way, but the Puma is way friendlier.
@lalondegeoffrey
you should watch the other videos of it going at full speed then stopping, and instantly doing a 180 back. so I'd say that not only could it avoid a crash, but it could run away from it. ever heard of regenerative breaking? plus it's not just balancing, it's counter-weighting - shifting the entire cab back to "lean" backwards to stop.
the other full speed videos make this thing look like a lot of fun and pretty practical. the Segway was a solution without a problem but this might actually be something useful. however, hope my elbow and knee won't have to stick out in the rain on the final product.
rippinhonda @ Apr 7th 2009 11:15AM
They should have kept the accelerometer for turning. Would be funny eh?
Veacross @ Apr 7th 2009 11:58AM
This would be cooler if it was bipedal and had arms......lol.
Vectoor @ Apr 7th 2009 11:57AM
What wouldn't?
myddrin @ Apr 7th 2009 11:15AM
Oh great, just what I need... some other obstacle in the bike lane.
Bad enough I have to share it with strollers, joggers, people who don't care where they park or decide that they need a turn lane *right now*.
Zak @ Apr 7th 2009 12:46PM
It's narrow minded people like you who are responsible for giving America a bad name.
I think this type of innovation is great, we just need to figure out renewable energy on a large scale first.
myddrin @ Apr 7th 2009 1:56PM
@Zak
Is it really narrow minded to think that an section of the road that is supposedly set aside for cyclists shouldn't be given over to a large, bulky motorized vehicle?
I applaud the engineering and innovation that goes into the PUMA, which is impressive and a first step.
However, putting these things into bicycle lanes is just nuts. Putting aside the fact that a cyclist getting hit by this thing is going to be one hurting unit, there is the fact that these things can go 35mph which is much faster than your average cyclist. So, while the engine tops out at 35mph, the driver is probably going to be 15-20mph, dodging and weaving around cyclists (and the other hazards I mentioned) increasing risk for the other people in the bicycle lane and frustrating the driver because he/she isn't getting their 35mph.
The engineering is impressive, but the some thought needs to be given to the practical use of these devices.
tc @ Apr 7th 2009 4:30PM
"The 35mph top speed means it's a road vehicle, not something you'd want to allow on pavements."
from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/apr/07/puma-segway-electric-car
By the way, "Whether you'd feel entirely comfortable sandwiched between a bus and a huge tuck is, of course, another matter.".
bigcow05 @ Apr 7th 2009 6:30PM
Bike lanes should be fenced and motorized vehicles should be banned from them. They are too dangerous as they are now, and the quality of the surface is not suitable for road bikes. Coming from a biker who has been hit by cars twice in the past 3 years.
Dave B @ Apr 7th 2009 9:30PM
@Zak grow up dude, you're constant bashing is annoying.
And no, this isn't that great of an 'innovation'. It's taking existing tech and making something completely worthless for lazy people. Get a bike, doesn't have a mileage limit and doesn't need to charge (which by the way, if you live in a city like I do, you realize immediately that you're SOL to charge this thing).
And for bikers: Most think they're above the law... going down one-ways the wrong way hitting unsuspecting pedestrians, not stopping at stop signs, etc. etc. So while I have sympathy towards having the dumb-ass things in your lane, just one more thing they have to deal with, like we do with them on our sideWALKS.
Anyway, go die GM, so useless.
Frostblade10 @ Apr 8th 2009 1:45AM
@Dave B
"Get a bike, doesn't have a mileage limit and doesn't need to charge"
Well technically, a bike still needs to be maintained. It's not like at a certain fixed mileage number makes a car not work.
I guess one's preference of what to drive really depends just that: preference, and of course their situation (whether riding a bike is more practical to get where this certain person needs to go).
Karla @ Apr 8th 2009 12:42PM
Mark Levin had a great response to a caller the other night on his radio show. The caller bragged that he converted his gas guzzler to an electric vehicle so he was doing his part to help save the environment. Mark asked him what would happen if everyone had electric cars and we got got home from work and plugged them into the grid. Where did he think that electricity was going to come from. Obama doesn't want Nuclear power plants or coal plants, where the heck is the electricity going to come from to power all these "renewable" energy vehicles. Mostly non renewable energy is used to power the grid. There is not enough wind or solar power and even if we would get more they are inconsistent and depend on the weather. They would never be enough to power this country alone. People need to wake up from that Utopian dream. Read Newt Gingrich's book "Drill Here Drill Now".
RyleyinSTL @ Apr 7th 2009 11:15AM
Jesus Christ! Clearly this press conference took place in an alternate universe where this product might be good for something.
Chad @ Apr 7th 2009 1:14PM
Like Asia?
JL @ Apr 7th 2009 11:16AM
Ugh. Cyclists have a tough enough time in the bicycle lane without this thing clogging things up.
Vidikron @ Apr 7th 2009 12:40PM
Haha... I find this comment somewhat ironic since it's the exact same thought that goes through drivers of motor vehicles when they see bikes in standard traffic lanes.
picsnao @ Apr 7th 2009 11:17AM
Yeah, I'd rather use a bike TBQH.
Venom16 @ Apr 7th 2009 12:21PM
Q?
Whats the Q?
Vidikron @ Apr 7th 2009 12:42PM
Qompletely? ;-)
Deeznuts420 @ Apr 7th 2009 12:47PM
quite guys.
ge0rge @ Apr 7th 2009 11:18AM
I have to say, this is probably the first innovation or original concept from GM that has made me feel quasi-ok about pumping billions of tax payer $ into them. Granted they really should be working on things to deliver value today, but still...
Wwhat @ Apr 7th 2009 12:17PM
Is this some clever sarcasm?
Scott @ Apr 7th 2009 11:19AM
wow GM you're facing bankruptcy so you invent the gayest vehicle ever just to drive the nail in the coffin
reisa @ Apr 7th 2009 12:45PM
LOL. My thoughts in a pithier nutshell.
pickleman77 @ Apr 7th 2009 12:57PM
Gotta hate those homosexual vehicles... Ruining companies... If only they were straight... =/
Ed T @ Apr 7th 2009 11:20AM
Does anyone still wonder why GM is nearing bankruptcy? This ting looks like a damn motorized wheelchair designed by a committee of high school kids.
iKandy360 @ Apr 7th 2009 2:19PM
Are you crazy? Does this look like a motorized wheelchair to you?
http://www.engadget.com/photos/gm-and-segways-p-u-m-a-makes-its-stage-debut/1475998/
No! This looks like a giant vibrator!
elloh7 @ Apr 7th 2009 11:22AM
I thought I knew what ridiculous was, until this day..
Justin @ Apr 7th 2009 11:24AM
Renders in pics 24-26...
WAAAAALLLEEEE..... EEEEEEEVVVVEEE
iono @ Apr 7th 2009 11:27AM
so GM scales back on Transformers 2 advertising funding for this??
MEET OPTIMUS PUMA
Richard @ Apr 7th 2009 11:27AM
I'm no fan of GM (in fact I think they make crap) but I don't understand the reaction to this. Everyone complains that they make ridiculously inefficient vehicles but when they do the opposite everyone still complains.
Something like this would be ideal inside London where the average vehicle speed is about 11mph. It would be exempt from the congestion charge, allowed to use bus lanes so could pass queuing traffic, would be easy to park and would be cheap to run. Sure, it's not the best looking vehicle in the world but it's designed for functionality not looks. It seems like a good idea to me and the only thing I'd like to see changed is for it to be fully enclosed so you don't get wet on the way to work.
degraff15 @ Apr 7th 2009 12:57PM
agreed. I'm not too excited about this vehicle, but I think GM is looking in the right direction. if they started thinking like this 15 years ago, they might not be in such a mess.
nikster @ Apr 7th 2009 2:44PM
I am not sure how this is "looking in the right direction"? GM's biggest problem is that they make vehicles that people don't want to buy, and this is probably one of the more egregious examples of that.
Advanced gyros are cool but I don't really see them used to benefit anything in this vehicle - what can it do that a motorized wheelchair can't? Why are we supposed to use it? If I'd want to get into this class of vehicle I'd get a bicycle. If I were lazy, I'd get a bicycle with electric motor assist.
It took him 8 years but Bush finally said something that's worth repeating: You don't put good money after bad. Let GM fail, don't put it on life support so it can fail sometime later.
Frogboy @ Apr 7th 2009 11:18PM
@Nikster
"...GM's biggest problem is that they make vehicles that people don't want to buy..."
Yeah, that's why they were the worldwide leader in car sales for 77 years.
http://www.roadandmore.com/rnmforum/topic/39.html
When did everyone become sheep?