GM Unveils the P.U.M.A.

[Stiker]

G.M. Conjures Up a People-Moving Pod - Wheels Blog - NYTimes.com

G.M. Conjures Up a People-Moving Pod

By Jim Motavalli
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/...GMSegway13.jpg G.M.’s P.U.M.A. prototype in Manhattan.

General Motors may be so short of cash that bankruptcy is among its dwindling options, but the company is still in the business of creating dreams.

Its latest dream, the P.U.M.A. mobility pod, to be unveiled Tuesday in New York, is pretty far out — and as such, requires no big immediate investments. Indeed, Larry Burns, G.M.’s vice president for research and development and strategic planning, said the P.U.M.A. prototype cost “only one half of 1 percent of G.M’s typical engineering budget” for a year.

Of course, the P.U.M.A. (for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility) is not really a car, and it’s not really being introduced, except as a bit of blue-sky thinking about better ways to move around crowded urban areas than driving an automobile.

Mr. Burns has used the phrase “reinvention of the automobile” before, in relation to fuel-cell vehicles like the G.M. Sequel. But the P.U.M.A., a joint project with Segway, the New Hampshire-based creator of self-balancing two-wheel scooters, is quite different. Think of a larger, two-passenger, sit-down version of the Segway PT, with two gyroscopically balanced wheels. The prototype has minimal bodywork, but podlike enclosures (which look like computer mice on wheels) are imagined for production. If it gets that far.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/...GMSegway02.jpg

If all of this conjures visions of a rickshaw, well, the prototype does somewhat resemble one. Mr. Burns imagines Singapore, which has rickshaws, as one possible early market.

The P.U.M.A., which will be displayed at the New York International Auto Show (which opens to the public on Friday), is an electric vehicle powered by lithium-ion batteries. James D. Norrod, the president and chief executive of Segway, says it has a 35-mile range and 35 m.p.h. top speed. A three-hour charge costs, not surprisingly, 35 cents. It is, in essence, a neighborhood electric vehicle, or N.E.V., whose limited speed keeps it off highways (and, in most states, off roads with speed limits over 35).

Mr. Burns said that six P.U.M.A.’s would fit in a standard parking space.

A new N.E.V. — many are little more than glorified golf carts— is not going to reinvent the automobile. Despite the claims by proponents of such vehicles could serve the driving needs of many millions, they have failed to make much of a dent in the car market. Ford abandoned its Neighbor N.E.V. when it sold the Norwegian company that made it, Think Nordic, at the end of 2002. Fewer than 6,000 Neighbors were sold in the United States that year. Chrysler still sells Global Electric Motorcars vehicles, which have had some success in gated communities.

In a meeting Monday with editors and reporters at The New York Times, Mr. Burns pulled out his cellphone to make a point: Project P.U.M.A. vehicles would be designed to tap into the two-way communications made possible by G.M.’s OnStar technology, which has six million North American subscribers. The vision is expansive: using “vehicle to vehicle,” or V2V, communications, these “100 percent digital” devices would communicate with one another over a quarter-mile range to prevent collisions, eventually allowing what G.M. calls “autonomous driving and parking.”

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/...GMSegway17.jpg

Mr. Burns imagines a hands-free urban driver ignoring dense city traffic to concentrate on sending text messages from a PDA clipped in to serve as a dashboard, while the mobile Internet pod moves toward its destination. “My daughter sleeps with her iPhone in her hand,” Mr. Burns said. “At this point, is using a cellphone the distraction, or has driving become the distraction?”

There’s more: the pods would also be equipped to communicate with the smart grid of the future (as is the Aptera EV, another podlike electric vehicle that is due to be introduced in the fall), returning electricity to utilities during times of peak demand. That’s not V2V, it’s V2G — vehicle to grid.

The Segway PT costs $5,000, so the more capable 600-pound P.U.M.A. would presumably be priced considerably higher, though Mr. Burns declined to speculate where the sweet spot might be. “This is a prototype, not a product,” said Mr. Norrod of Segway. “We have not made a decision to commercialize it.”

Mr. Burns concluded his remarks by offering a glimmer of what his company could become if it managed to transform the urban roadscape. “We were the S.U.V. company, and we accept that,” he said. “We want to become the U.S.V. company — known for ultra-small vehicles.”

Less than half of 1% of the budget or not...I can't believe GM is seriously coming up with this kinda stuff while bankruptcy is looming. Couldn't the people on that project be working on their actual product line?

Also, in before:

http://www.google.com/images?q=tbn:S...urns-Excel.jpg

[Stumblingdrunk]

G.M. Conjures Up a People-Moving Pod - Wheels Blog - NYTimes.com

Less than half of 1% of the budget or not...I can't believe GM is seriously coming up with this kinda stuff while bankruptcy is looming. Couldn't the people on that project be working on their actual product line?

Also, in before:

http://www.google.com/images?q=tbn:S...urns-Excel.jpg

Cause innovation has never made anyone any money, ever.

[Dimmauk]

I cant wait to get P.U.M.A-jacked.

[miokomioko]

They could have picked a better name for it, as ford already had a vehicle called the Puma (but only in Europe as far as I know).

[Stiker]

Cause innovation has never made anyone any money, ever.

Considering even the people involved with the project don't even expect this to even released in any near future, I think the timing of this little innovation is a little off to say the least. For some reason I can't see this as the answer to GM's current problems and GM clearly doesn't either.

Cool idea, but also a slight "wtf?"

[Colenzo]

so wtf is it? a segway for fat people that dont want to stand up?

oh you can fit two people nvm lol

[Ensam]

so wtf is it? a segway for fat people that dont want to stand up?

oh you can fit two people nvm lol

I was going to make a fat person comment but then I saw the pics and don't know if one could fit lol. But yeah, really pointless considering it's basically a segway.

And segways are better because every time I see one, I think of gob.

[Fhloston]

"Colenzo's avatar is watching you masturbate."

Sorry had to say it.

[Jefe]

What an ugly POS.

[Jer]

so wtf is it? a segway for fat people that dont want to stand up?

oh you can fit two people nvm lol

I was not clear from the article whether they meant these to be personally-owned or not, but most ideas surrounding this type of transportation usually view it as somewhat a communal mode. You usually see them imagining the charging stations where people pull into to park and go about their business, somebody else can come and get it or one of the many others located there. Sorta of like a taxi, but you drive yourself. Most of the models I have seen of that type apparently fail to take into account that most people don't take care of their own shit, much less someone else's, lol. They usually aim to be inexpensive to recharge/refuel, be more environmental friendly (no-little emissions), and compact to help in areas of congestion (article said 6 of them could fit in a parking space). Kind of like mini-hybrids or electric cars, with all the same problems: build-costs, battery cost/life/disposal, etc.

[jinkazama]

Stupidest Idea ever.. on the brink of bankrupcy and this is their job saving miracle?


This has Red VS Blue written all over it... couldnt help myself

YouTube - red vs blue episode 2

1:15 and on

[Geldric]

Need to throw some D's on it.

[Ryany]

If I wanted something that would get me around and not take up too much space, I'd get a motorcycle.

[LinktheDeme]

http://www.geocities.com/matrionix/it.JPG

looks a lot like

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/...GMSegway17.jpg


;o

[BRP]

Not going to pick up a lot of ladies in that.

[kuronosan]

http://www.geocities.com/matrionix/it.JPG

looks a lot like

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/...GMSegway17.jpg


;o

PUMA = Put Up My Ass

[Zouri]

that looks like a segway that you sit in... great innovation! (sarcasm)

[Cyn]

Considering even the people involved with the project don't even expect this to even released in any near future, I think the timing of this little innovation is a little off to say the least. For some reason I can't see this as the answer to GM's current problems and GM clearly doesn't either.

Cool idea, but also a slight "wtf?"

Their money problems were only really bad until November 5th, 2008.

[Shuvo]

Stupid. Why spent thousands of dollars on a 2-wheel system with gyroscopes when they can just add in a frigging third wheel to get the same effect.

[sekaran]

Stupid. Why spent thousands of dollars on a 2-wheel system with gyroscopes when they can just add in a frigging third wheel to get the same effect.

Was gonna say the same thing! Great way to waste money GM.