This is just, well, awful. I’d rather ride a horse.
Photo Credit: Reuters
General Motors Corp. is teaming with Segway Inc., maker of the upright, self-balancing scooters, to build a new type of two-wheeled vehicle designed to move easily through congested urban streets.
The machine, which GM says it aims to develop by 2012, would run on batteries and use wireless technology to avoid traffic backups and navigate cities.
The struggling auto maker, surviving on a government lifeline, is looking to generate enthusiasm for its increasingly uncertain future ahead of the New York auto show this week.
Something tells me this isn’t the way to generate enthusiasm. This is what happens when government gets involved in designing automobiles. Your tax dollars at work.
H/T to Reader Kate
One of the CNBC guys said “I’d hate to hit another car in one of those, really, I’d hate to hit a pedestrian in it.”
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Imagine hitting a skunk? How about an armadillo?
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I’m glad to see my hard earned tax dollars going to good use. -NOT!
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Wouldn’t you love to be driving that thing in a snowstorm?
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Looks like a really good chance to catch the curb and do a face plant on the asphalt to me.
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I think we need to be more open minded to this idea. I’ve seen tons of people trash it as an unsafe waste of money, and while I certainly think the money should be put to better use, innovation does cost money. This may not look like much, but it could turn out to be something very big in the future.
This is after all, just a prototype. I think it’s pretty cool, actually, and no, I’m not a liberal, and I’m not 10. I’m a huge conservative but I think this idea may surprise some of us.
What I do hope is that the rest of the money is spent wisely.
With the right future alloy, this could be much safer. I hear Smart is going to spend a lot on improving safety for their vehicles too.
But most importantly, I just think our ideas of a car or a way to get around need to be a little more open. The future isn’t going to be exciting unless we can have new innovation. I don’t want to be driving the same truck in 20 years because some people think future cars, electrics and otherwise are just stupid “unsafe” wastes of money.
Part of being a conservative is appreciating a free market and innovation that creates and prospers.
This isn’t the same, I know, but I still think it’s not a lost cause. Maybe if GM ever is able to rebuild itself without the government’s “helpful” hand, this will be even better.
You know, at this point, I could care less if the environment is helped by these future cars, they look great, and they seem to be able to function well, so I say go for it.
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