Obama's GM & Segway To Produce The "Barack-O-Chair"

The Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility, or 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 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 miles-per-hour and can run 35 miles on a single charge. Image Credit: General Motors Corp. and Segway Inc. via Huffington Post

Obama's GM & Segway To Produce The "Barack-O-Chair"

General Motors (struggling, Obama Administration managed automaker) is teaming up with Segway (geek-mover sold primarily to local Governments) to produce a new two-wheeled vehicle for the urban landscape called the PUMA.

It looks like someone took a SMART car and squeezed it. It's far more car-like (and faster) than the Segway, and hopefully, for both GM and Segway, prove more mass-market-friendly: the Segway is banned on many city streets because it's too big to be considered a bike, and too slow and exposed to be considered a car. It is this reason that it has only been acceptable to local Governments for patrol and traffic control (also featured in Paul Blartt Mall Cop, Safety Never Takes A Vacation).

This excerpted and edited from The Wall Street Journal -

GM, Segway to Make Vehicle
By SHARON TERLEP, The Wall Street Journal - APRIL 7, 2009

General Motors Corp. is teaming with Segway Inc., maker of the upright, self-balancing scooters, to build a new type of two-wheeled vehicle designed to move easily through congested urban streets.

The Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility - PUMA - Image Credit: General Motors Corp. and Segway Inc. via Huffington Post
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GM has slashed product-development programs, advertising and spending on auto-show events. But it will take to the streets of Manhattan on Tuesday to show off a prototype of the vehicle, called PUMA, for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility.
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The machine, which GM says it aims to develop by 2012, would run on batteries and use wireless technology to avoid traffic backups and navigate cities.
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GM is betting PUMA's more car-like traits -- an enclosed compartment and top speed of 35 miles per hour -- will lead to better results.

GM didn't say how much the machines would cost, but research chief Larry Burns said owners would spend one-third to one-fourth of the cost of a traditional vehicle.
Reference Here>>

The Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility - PUMA - Image Credit: General Motors Corp. and Segway Inc. via Huffington Post

This is more of what we can expect from an automobile company owned and operated by the Federal Government and Unions - Clown Cars, and Scooters!

OK,OK! So they're hi-tech. Questions: How practical is this Obama Wheel-Chair (Barack-O-Chair)? Where does one place an airbag?

Where is the updated and Green refined version of the 1957 Chevy with a 0-100 in under 9 seconds acceleration that runs on Hydrogen or Electricity and costs under $20,000?!