GM PUMA | Is General Motors Grasping At Straws?

GM partners with Segway Inc.

The United State’s biggest automaker and the creator of Segway scooters have teamed up to create the GM PUMA , a two-wheeled electric vehicle. So far the Puma is only in the prototype stage.

Perhaps this “sit-down scooter” or GM Segway, as some people are calling it, could be the next big thing in automotive technology. However, most market watchers are predicting the PUMA (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility) will be just was big a flop as the Segway scooter.

About the PUMA

The prototype was unveiled today in Manhattan. The vehicle weighs 300 pounds, runs solely on electricity and basically looks like a sit-down, shielded Segway. It has no safety features, but the makers say such features are unnecessary because the vehicle automatically avoids obstacles, pedestrians and other cars.

The PUMA’s top speed is 35 mph, and its top distance on a single charge is 35 miles.

PUMA price

It’s tough to say whether you’ll need a personal loan to buy a PUMA, if it ever does come out.

“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,” according to the Huffington Post.

So I guess the projected price depends on  your opinion of what an “average traditional vehicle” is.

Predictions of a non-expert

In my unprofessional opinion, any time or money that GM has spent on this vehicle during its time of economic crisis is a huge waste. I applaud the automaker for developing a vehicle that doesn’t use fuel, takes up less space and costs less than its other products, but the GM PUMA will never catch on. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "GM PUMA | Is General Motors Grasping At Straws?"