GM and Segway's P.U.M.A. makes its stage debut (with video!)
By Paul Miller 
posted April 7th 2009 11:06AM
posted April 7th 2009 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.
This will be great for the city solution to transportation and parking.
Hope they design a "Egg Shaped" shell to add protection to the occupants.
Ideas and production for consumer products like this will lead us out of the recession.
The conquer of the mall is now complete. Now mall security can run around the parking lot as well as inside the mall.
Um, did anyone actually read anything about this. . .
This is not a final, production-ready model. No vehicle marketing the public would look like this. GM is working on a chassis, supposedly. So it will look less like a wheelchair, based on the renders.
I think it's cool. Anything that gets us away from cars, oil, pollution, has got to be a good thing.
Yes, it's better to bike, but most people don't/won't. And some people live too far away to make biking feasible for them.
I live 2 miles from where I work, so I can choose how to get to work on any given day. Most people don't have that luxury.
I think this is a step in the right direction.
Stimulus package in effect!
Right, like they just whipped this up in 12 weeks.
What is sad is that GM didn't even do this for consumers. They did it to please their new boss, Obama. I heard a quote for a GM exec. on the radio this morning talking about how they were proud to be developing a product that falls in line with what Obama's administration wants to see! How ridiculous is that?
What happened to the good old days when automotive designers and engineers designed for the consumer? Often offering what the customer wanted before they ever knew they wanted it? Fact remains that if GM was working with less overhead *cough* reduced union labor cost *cough* they would be nearly as much a viable company as Toyota. Building an eco-friendly "car" that no one wants to buy just to please the current administration is not going to save the company.
what the hell? i be damned if the government gives gm more money to fund vaporware projects like this...you and i both know this thing will never get into production in our lifetime..no wonder is gm is going under...segway better get out why they can!
Puma? Looks more like a warthog to me.
Better Official HD Video Here:
Better Official HD Video Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY4msj5Q05Q&fmt=18
So, my question is...is this really something that we really need? I mean, is this what GM is spending the loan money we gave them? This thing is ridiculous looking and unless you want something different to putt around the retirement community with, it's a pointless use of resources! When you think that a standard Segway goes for between $3000 and $8000, there is no way that this thing is going to be cheaper than $8000! Not from GM!
Then you have companies like Tata making cars for $2,000! Real cars! Cars that actually take people places!
And did you get a look at the mock-ups of what they want this thing to look like? What the heck is that? A blue p*nis?
This thing is a joke and only poseurs will own one and only dorks will be in them.
Ed
web/gadget guru
To be fair Tata gets away with that sort of thing because they're and the EU's standards are much lower than the US standards, hence why a US Tata Nano would have to be totally re-envisioned and thus is a while away from production.
My Grandma would love this.
yes...but
a) the width - if you make it for two, it will be "just another smart", if you do it for one, it will be a wheelchair
b) price - it will definitely be more expensive then segway - in US the segway price is about 4-5 K dolars (BTW why everyone is hidding the prices, why there is no segway eshop!), in Europe it is about 7 K € - for this price we can have quite big car now. This would definitely be even more expensive
c) bike streets? nonsense - over limits in many aspects (width, speed). Normal streets only
From my point of view it seems like GM is trying to persuade people, that they are doing something with that bilions they got from Obama, but this is stupid. I like Segway, but the way they sell it like some multilevel marketing, the price which is far above the typical competitors - mopeds etc. is making it crapy. First you should persuade US and EU states to allow Segway on bike streets - in most countries it is forbidden (noone control it, but it is enough problem if i should spend 2 my monthly sallaries - btw 10 average salaries in my country).
GM should bancrupt and then start from begining, otherwise it is a road to hell and you will be pumping the money to it forever. The crysis is not the reason for GM problems - they got theese problems from 1980' - see Michael Moore's Roger & Me http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098213/
Since that time GM has not invented any single new car, they are just producing the same cars all the time - compare 30 year old GM car with a current one and 30 years old european, japaneese or korean car with a current one and you will understand where is the GM problem. So i fully understand why 90 % of new sold cars in US are not american. You can not change this with any money investment - invetion of new type of car including drawing ... takes 4 to 5 years MINIMUM! So even if they would change everything NOW, you will have to pump money for next 5 years. It would be much quicker to sell the rest of GM to korea/europe/japan and let them import their plans/machines ... - this takes just about 6-12 months to start a new factory for existing cars, and another about 6 months to create small changes for differentiation from the "mother"
Sarge: May I introduce, our new Light-Reconnaissance vehicle. (Rotating around the new jeep) It has 4-inch Armor Plating; M.A.G Bumper Suspension; a mounted machine gunner position, and total seating for three. Gentlemen! This is the M12 LRV! I like to call it the 'Warthog'.
Grif: Why 'Warthog,' Sir?
Sarge: Because 'M12 LRV' is too hard to say in conversation, son.
Grif: No, but, why 'Warthog'? I mean, it doesn't really look like a pig...
Sarge: Say that again?
Grif: I think it looks more like a Puma.
Sarge: What in Sam Hell is a 'Puma'?
Simmons: Uhh, you mean like the shoe company?
Grif: No! Like a Puma! It's a big cat, it's like a lion.
Sarge: You're making that up.
Grif: I'm telling you, it's a real animal.
Sarge: Simmons, I want you to poison Grif's next meal.
Simmons: Yes sir!
Sarge:Look, see these two tow hooks? They look like tusks, and what kind of animal has tusks?
Grif: A walrus.
Sarge: Didn't I just tell you to stop making up animals?!
Something didn't sit right when the government started dipping its feet into the private sector. Now I know why.
I think a lot of people are missing the point here.
THIS PROTOTYPE IS FAR FROM BEING COMPLETE!
The Chassis is far from complete, and so is everything else!
Listen to what they say about making them all CONNECTED and SMART!
They are clearly making huge strides here, working towards making them fully AUTONOMOUS.
I can envision this thing (not in the near future, of course, but certainly in the next decade) making taxicabs all but obsolete, for most people getting from point A to point B in a city like New York. Hop in, swipe your card, and tell it where you want to go. If they can make it cheaper than a normal cab ride, I see absolutely no reason why this wouldn't be a highly successful business model for them.
When I first saw the mock-ups of this design, I facepalmed myself as well, but then I realized what might be right around the corner (assuming they don't go bankrupt first!)
Good things, GM. Good things.
Actually, not...it's wrong...oh so wrong for GM to spend any more money on this gawd-awful looking thing...
And the *so called* technology is so last century! The implementation of the entire contraption is badly done and complications are being invented instead of reduced! Look, take a look at what Toyota is doing here:
http://www.vimeo.com/1821566
Did you read what this thing does? for normal use, it is basically upright. At speed, it lowers its self for stability. It has built in networking to communicate with other devices like it and has built in "mash-up"
What GM is doing is a bad imitation of this sleek device. Poorly designed and poorly implemented and the technology being *introduced* is ancient! And knowing GM, they are probably going to make the thing communicate using something archaic like "wi-max" or something similar...
Come on and die already GM...Let the young blood take over and produce something that people that *aren't* 90 years old would want to buy!
Ed
I'm all for progress, but this is nothing that earth-shaking.
Add another one or two wheels for stability, give more room for more people and cargo, take away the dangerous and expensive balancing act, and sell it in the $5,000 - $10,000 range... oh wait, thats already been done! http://www.gemcar.com/
WTF? WTF? um, WTF!!! That thing looks worse than a sardine can. After three knee operations I will be damned if you will see my lard ass in that metrosexual piece of shit! I would need a shot of morphine just to bend my legs at the right angles to sit in that damn thing.
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a four wheel electric car with the same range/speed specs can be made by chinese for less than $1000 each
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Why not just have 4 wheels? Why waste space and weight with the segway mechanism?
I'm intrigued. Perfect for driving around airports or your gigantic underground lair. Otherwise, for "on the road," if you are really quiet, and listen very closely, you can hear it screaming DEATH TRAP!
puma dont you guys think it looks more like a warthog?
As some folks have said, this looks like it may suffer the Segway's fate of being nifty but too expensive. It's being targeted at city dwellers which means it's going to be competing with:
1) Compact Cars (Honda Civic, Ford Focus)
2) Tiny Cars (Smart Fortwo, TH!NK city)
3) Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (Tazzari Zero)
4) Motorbikes (Honda Super Cub)
5) Scooters (Vespa)
6) Bicycles
7) Walking + Public Transportation
Please keep in mind that the particular brands and models above are just examples. My point is that there's a lot of competition in this area. Given that a Segway is in the $4 - 5,000 range, I can't see this being less expensive. That means it would be tough to compete with numbers 4-7 as a vehicle for one person, so it would have to compete with numbers 1-3 as a cheap way to move two people. The problem is that the prototype has less room, is less enclosed, has less storage space, and seemingly offers less protection than numbers 1-3.
So it may be too expensive to compete with 4-7 but lack the features to compete with 1-3. That's a very narrow target for a product. I understand that it's just a prototype and that the renders suggest GM views this as a possible new model for city transportation. My point is that a brand new method of transportation with a somewhat narrow chance at being competitive is not what GM needs to be focusing on at a time when it's facing bankruptcy.
A) Once this thing goes above around 5 or 10mph, it can't stop quickly or abruptly, or else the passengers will simply do a face plant. No amount of clever engineering is going to prevent it falling flat on it's face above a fairly low speed if it stops suddenly, such as if it hits a curb, bump, or anything below it's center of gravity.
On that basis alone, it would never be allowed to be released.
B) The only reason GM are announcing it right now is purely political - with so much focus on their organisation, it was critical to show the public something from their R&D facility. Word would have been issued from senior management to show something NOW. They simply looked through the myriad of R&D projects for something that would demonstrate innovation, breakthrough thinking, and alignment with what they think is public interest.
So they demonstrate this thing. It's never going to see the light of day; it's just a political move. You and everyone else will forget about it soon enough. The big mistake Detroit has been making is believing that they can keep doing this sort of thing and the public will keep buying their crap.
Finally, for those that seem to forget, Detroit >has< been making cars that Americans want. That's the problem. Clearly, most Americans have a low IQ and low self-esteem, or possibly inflated egos. How else can you explain the sort of vehicles they buy and drive?
Seriously. The rest of the world thinks the US car buying public is a joke, and has thought that way for decades. Seriously.
They need to get their act together, their "models" can't even fit in the cabin lol. I guess this would make an okay vehicle for airport, mall security.
So...we're mouthbreathers over here, and yet somehow all the new-tech, electric vehicle & EcoGreenCrap you herald as "the future" is all developed here, with mouthbreathing American technology...
Segway >> Willy Wonka
GM >> Oompa Loompa
Gadget Invented >> Puma
Whats even more annoying is the "single-file" , "talking to each other" sci-fi save-the-world vision bit.
These guys should never talk to each other for coming out with "Sunset Rides in Kuomling Bay".
Fail. GM should be saving cash and spending it on relevant things like building a better product. The entire mgmt team at GM need to be fired!!!!!
This would be perfect for reducing the traffic in Los Angeles.
All I'm saying is that when you have things like this:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/01/toyotas-winglet-aims-to-usurp-segway-why-we-dont-know/
and things like this:
http://www.vimeo.com/1821566
coming from car companies that are *NOT* General Motors...and then you see this kludgy monstrosity that GM believes deserves financial backing, and it makes you wonder why GM didn't fail decades ago!
Come on GM...you're a bunch of grey-haired old farts who think touch tone phones are "new fangled" Why must the Japanese and Euopeans all make vehicles that are infinatly nicer looking than what you people can do?
Ed
Segway still trying to sell the technology that has killed two people, one known serious head injury and just for kicks quadriplegic injuries for another. This does not include the numerous lawsuits from face plants and other forms of bodily harm. Consumers have been and will continue to be seriously injured when the Segway malfunctions and suddenly stops without warning or when the tires lose traction due to a twig, a flaw in the road, etc.
GM's vice president says this is going to be safe. Really, like the anti-tip wheels! And he says no air bags and seat belts only for "comfort purpose." Wake up reporters and start reporting on the real problems with the Segway and the harm it has caused. A helmet can't protect you from all head injuries and they are not designed to protect your neck from fracture and potential spinal cord injuries and paralysis.
I think they should rename it delak...
The vehicle looks dangerous. I wouldn't like to be hit by a car in that.
Isn't this called a Wheelchair?
Europe and Asia as a market ?
I'm from Europe and live in Asia and can tell you there is no market for these in either continent. Someone has already invented the PUMA killer, in the form of 2 in-line wheels. They're called motorbikes and bicycles, and come with small engines, electric motors or pedals, and all of them are cheap and easy to maintain.
Seriously, this is just a bizarre technology trying to find a market/demand - Anyone with any common sense would predict complete failure.
Is it just me or does this monstrosity look more like a glorified mobility scooter than the future of transportation. GM (Genuine Mediocrity?) - really, hope you're not betting the farm (what's left of it) on this!
Great, now I can look like even more of a tool than a guy on a segway.
PURE IDIOCRACY!!
Put your money and effort on ZERO S. An actual working electric motorcycle. If GM use its manufacturing prowess, assuming they still have it, they can lower the cost of Zero S to $4000-$5000 and extend the range of the motorcycle to 100 Miles. Heck spent some research dollar and push the speed to 70 MPH and we have a bona fide winner. WTH are these people thinking.
Wouldn't they have a larger target market if they did make the thing into a motorized wheel chair? I mean, they could shrink this thing down quite a bit and raise the seat for a near standing position at standstill and low speeds, then lower the seat for higher speeds lower wind resistance. This could double as bicycle speed capable and segway control capable to bring the wheel chair into the 21st century.
I think the competition in the market they are targeting is exactly why this interesting little unit will be doomed before it can hit any dealership show rooms. Robert A. Heinlein first mentioned the motorized unicycle in his sci-fi way back in the 1950's. The use was as a utility service worker's vehicle in large commercial manufacturing plants. This is close enough to serve that type of purpose. Meter readers and the like could definitely put them to good use.
brrpp
Sell this at a cheaper price than the TATA in India and elsewhere in the developing countries and I think, it would be a smash hit. However, the makers have to recover the cost of investing in new technology. But considering the market in these developing countries, it might be be well worth it considering the economy of scales. Here, in the States, it's just a new toy. Still, if it's cheaper than the motorcycles or scooters and safer, it will be good for the makers to study this economic option for it recover from the recession.