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To The Dorkmobile, Geek-Man!

Posted by Clark Williams-Derry
04/07/2009 12:55 PM
Tiny electric car makes one nerd feel weak at the knees.

Segway PUMAI'm letting my geek flag fly here...but I gotta confess, I love this thing.

The Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility Project [a partnership between GM and Segway]...will seek to develop a self balancing two-wheeled vehicle capable of reaching speeds of 35 mph – well above the Segway's 12 mph top speed -- for 35 miles.

I have no idea if this is actually going to catch on.  Probably not.  (Remember when the Segway was the future of transportation?)  Still, in my view it's got two things going for it.  First, it's a great reminder that the way we currently envision motorized transportation -- dominated by vehicles that outweigh us by an order of magnitude -- isn't the only solution that's possible. 

And second, it reminds me of the future I envisioned as a child.  (Go Go Gadget...Dorkmobile!!)

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Comments
Posted by JournalRhythm 04/07/2009 11:22 PM
there's a new concept in the automotive business
it's 2 seated, 2 wheeled, and too ambitious
General Motors fearing their time is over
is desperate to meet their innovation quota

partnered with Segway trying to make headway
came up with something just a little more deadly
works like the other one except that you sit
and ride around praying that you don't get hit

To listen to me rap my opinion, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64rpjlcf23Q
Posted by Greenkette 04/08/2009 03:33 AM
Hey Clark,

There's a nice introductory article about your "dorkmobile" over on The Huffington Post, complete with 2 videos!

I gotta say, though, to me this new gizmo just looks like an electric wheelchair with a windshield. Kinda like they're targeting the retiree market ... Which could be the case, since they're hoping to add a transponder and GPS technology so that "the vehicle would automatically avoid obstacles such as pedestrians and other cars and therefore never crash."

Hopefully they'll spiff it up before it's released on the market to people of all ages!
Posted by Larry 04/10/2009 12:43 PM
Maybe GM is finally realizing there's something inherently wrong with 90% of people driving solo to work in cars with 4 empty seats. Incredible waste of space on our freeways! We need a choice. One size does not fit all types of trips. To quote Rick Woodbury (www.commutercars.com), "It's as if people in a crowded subway all wore backpacks that were 4 times bigger than they are." GM rejected licensing and manufacturing the Tango ultranarrow EV in 2002. It's size could double existing freeway capacity (two per lane width) and quadruple parking capacity (perpendicular to curb). The Tango is a passenger-behind-driver (tandem) two seater, NASCAR roll-cage protected, low-center of gravity, patented design using available technology that could solve America's congestion, energy, GHG emissions, and funding crises, if mass produced. For a mere $100 million channeled to this company (the cost of only five freeway interchanges), this car could be mass produced right here in Cascadia, but instead the federal government spends tens of billions of dollars to bailout GM with few strings attached and to build miles of new freeway lanes. I don't care if you don't feel sexy and powerful in a Tango because of its looks (like a Honda Fit or Scion A), even though it goes from 0-60 in 4 seconds! Be a dork for the planet. Watch the Tango perform in the soon to begin Progressive Automotive X-PRIZE competition. A sure winner! http://www.progressiveautoxprize.org/teams/tango
Posted by Jer 04/10/2009 01:14 PM
Once again, congratulations to Dean Kamen on re-inventing the electric scooter, except with lower performance and vastly higher cost. Hate to tell you, but this is functionally equivalent to electric mopeds, which have been around for 10-20 years. Except that it can't lane-split. And it'll be 10x the cost, at least. And doesn't go as fast or as far. But it might keep the rain off better, and you might not have to wear a helmet.

So, yeah, probably old-folks market.
Posted by Jim 04/16/2009 01:51 PM
They look like a perfect solution for my daily commute. I fail to see how they could be any more dangerous than a bicylce I ride, or a motorcycle or scooter. It would protect you from the weather, (a serious consideration in my locale), so no need to shower and change at the office. And I would hope there's enough room inside for a briefcase/backpack and a bag or two of groceries. Perfect. Bring it on.
Posted by David Levinger 04/20/2009 02:01 PM
Ya know, a lot of people have been talking about this two-wheeled idea--that it's more efficient for various reasons than four-wheels. In fact, the nation's biggest Segway evangelist (see: http://web.archive.org/web/20031206193604/http://bookofseg.com/) ultimately ceased using a segway and became a bicycle commuter.

One of the big fears many adults have w/r/t riding bicycles is their instability. Hey, I have an idea, why not just strap the gyros sideways onto a bicycle?!

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