General Motors unveils two-wheeled car. Four wheels good, two wheels better. As it battles against possible bankruptcy, General Motors has unveiled its solution to the world's urban transportation problems.
The Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility, or PUMA, is a two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle designed to be a fast, safe, inexpensive and clean alternative to traditional cars.
General Motors is working with Segway, an American manufacturer of electric scooters, to develop the unusual-looking contraptions.
The companies said the PUMA 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.
"We're excited about doing more with less. Less emissions, less dependability on foreign oil and less space," said Jim Norrod, chief executive of Segway.
A 300-pound 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 35 mph and can run 35 miles 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.
The vehicles' designers plan for them to be part of a communications network that through the use of transponder and GPS technology which would allow them to drive themselves. The vehicles would automatically avoid obstacles such as pedestrians and other cars and therefore never crash.
