Click above for a high-res gallery of the GM/Segway Project P.U.M.A.
Please hold a moment while we check our calendars. Nope, it's definitely not April 1st. That must mean the stories circulating the internet tonight of a GM tie-up with Segway must be true. The Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility Project (P.U.M.A. for short) will reportedly seek to develop a self-balancing 2-wheeled vehicle that's capable of reaching speeds of 25 miles per hour, well above the Segway's 12 mph top speed.
Instead of the more common single track of a motorcycle, this electric vehicle will borrow the side-by-side arrangement popularized on the original Segway Personal Transporter. A lithium battery will store enough charge to allow the vehicle to travel for up to 25 miles on a single charge. Another interesting feature would be the ability for each machine to communicate with vehicles around it, avoiding accidents and regulating the flow of traffic.
Cost isn't yet set, but initial projections would place the total cost of ownership for the two-passenger autonomous vehicle at about a quarter of the price of a traditional automobile. The P.U.M.A. project will make its official debut at the New York Auto Show this week. Click past the break for the press release.
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