GM and Segway Introduce Prototype

Two-passenger electric vehicle unveiled in New York

PUMA Prototype

Last week, General Motors and Segway introduced a prototype that takes personal urban mobility in a new direction. The two-wheel electric vehicle currently on display at the New York International Auto Show is a compact alternative to traditional cars.

The two-passenger PUMA concept has a top speed of 35 miles-per-hour, and a range between recharges of 35 miles. It runs on lithium-ion batteries.

PUMA stands for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility: it’s the umbrella for a series of collaborative efforts between GM and Segway, aimed at reducing pollution and traffic in crowded urban areas.

The prototype demonstrates several technologies GM and Segway are collaborating on: electric drive and batteries, dynamic stabilization (two wheel balancing), and vehicle-to-vehicle communications among them.

“Project PUMA represents a unique solution to moving about and interacting in cities, where more than half of the world’s people live,” said Larry Burns, GM vice president of research and development and strategic planning. Operation costs for the prototype are a third to a quarter of a gas-powered car.

“Imagine small, nimble electric vehicles that know where other moving objects are and avoid running into them,” said Burns. “Now connect those vehicles in an Internet-like web and you can greatly enhance the ability of people to move through cities, find places to park and connect to their social and business networks.”

Ford Unveils Interactive Mustang Launch

“The ‘10 Unleashed” campaign puts enthusiasts in the driver’s seat

2010 Mustang

Ford knows how to keep its Mustang fans happy. Though getting behind the wheel of the 2010 model would suffice, the guys upstairs are going one better: inviting enthusiasts to customize cars with Ford Racing Performance Parts, or go racing.

By racing, Ford doesn’t mean a couple of runs down the local dragstrip. When world drift champion, Vaughn Gitten Jr., told the Mustang team about his fantasy of taking the 2010 model racing in Japan, they helped him turn his dream into reality.

Pony car fans can enter online, by submitting their Mustang dream experiences for consideration. Ford asks entrants to keep their essays to 250 words or less.

“During its 45 years, Mustang has touched people’s lives in so many different ways, and we’ve enjoyed hearing those stories leading up to the introduction of the new 2010 Mustang,” said Allison Revier, Ford Mustang brand manager. “Now it’s time to look forward and create new stories to fill the next chapter in the history book of America’s favorite muscle car.”

Ford will judge entries on creativity, uniqueness and execution of idea. In all, ten entrants will have the opportunity to turn their Mustang fantasies into reality. For more information, visit the official contest web site.