General Motors' PUMA: One More Swing at Increasing Vehicle Efficiency

Sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish innovation from grasping at straws. Other times they may in fact be one and the same, as with a new project by General Motors, called PUMA, that would switch city transits from cars to an odd-looking transport pod, powered by electricity.

The PUMA, standing for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility, is pretty much a sit-down, shielded Segway. Now, the first and most obvious response to PUMA is to point out that the original Segway has been a massive flop, by comparison with initial expectations. The vehicles are rare sight today, to say the least.

GM is working on the PUMA in partnership with the Segway’s eponymous maker, so it’s not likely to make the mistake of trumpeting the vehicle too loudly, as the memory of Segway falling flat is still fresh. For that matter, GM has had to trim its advertising budget significantly, so noisy campaigns for a vehicle it’s not even sure will by publicly released aren’t likely. The initial launch is today in Manhattan, according to the WSJ.

Also, given GM’s current state, it’s probably fair to characterize any non-core projects it takes up right now as “grasping at straws”. But instead of having a laugh at the odd-looking PUMA’s expense, I’d like to take a moment to defend it.

Segway’s basic technology is solid — nevermind the scooter’s market reception. A self-balancing, two-wheeled vehicle can be extremely efficient, and they actually are as easy to ride as the company says. Few people ever get the chance to try, though, because of the five-figure price tag. There’s also the issue of, well, looking silly, which has contributed to making the already-expensive scooters a tough sell.

The problem with Segways was that they were never quite useful enough to offset the downsides of price and oddness. They couldn’t replace cars and had trouble competing with bicycles. For the PUMA, the story may be different. GM says the vehicle has a commute-worthy range of 35 miles, and will incorporate sensor technology that will help it maneuver through traffic. Safety when mixing with cars will be less of an issue, with a hard shell around the passenger.

So for crowded, gridlocked cities, the PUMA or something like it could be the modern equivalent of a rickshaw if available for rental. Over the years, personal rapid transit (PRT) has failed many times, but something the PUMA, priced cheaply enough to be bought in fleets, could be a good intermediate step.

Finally, there’s the potential for more oil price spikes in the years ahead. If they begin occurring soon, electric cars won’t be able to help much, as they are still quite expensive. As a small, cheap vehicle running on electricity, the PUMA might just have a chance to compete. I hope GM itself can hang on for that long.