The two-wheeled electric car that will 'never crash'

General Motors Corp. and Segway Inc. are working together to develop a two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle designed to be a fast, safe, inexpensive and clean alternative to traditional cars and trucks for cities across the world.

The Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility, or PUMA, project also would involve a vast communications network that would allow vehicles to interact with one another, regulate traffic flow and prevent crashes, the companies said last week.

"We're excited about doing more with less," said Jim Norrod, chief executive of Segway, the Bedford, N.H.-based company best known for its innovative electric stand-and-ride electric scooter that's used by police departments, pizza deliverymen and others in urban settings.

"Less emissions, less dependability on foreign oil and less space," Norrod said.

The 300-pound prototype runs on a lithium-ion battery and uses Segway's characteristic two-wheel balancing technology, along with dual electric motors. It's designed to reach speeds of up to 35 miles per hour and can run 35 miles on a single charge.

Ideally, the vehicles would also be part of a communications network that through the use of transponder and Global Positioning System technology would allow them to drive themselves. The vehicles would automatically avoid obstacles such as pedestrians and other cars and therefore never crash, Burns said.

As a result, the vehicles would not need air bags or other traditional safety devices and include safety belts for "comfort purposes" only, he said.

Though the technology and its goals may seem like something out of science fiction, Burns said nothing new needs to be in- vented for it to become a reality.

Meanwhile, the recession has resulted in some of the lowest industrywide vehicle sales in more than a quarter-century.

But Burns argued that some of the most revolutionary ideas have been born out of tough economic times.

"The next two months, and really 2009, is all about the reinvention of General Motors," he said.