General Motors Corporation and Segway today unveiled a prototype of a “a new type of vehicle that could change the way we move around in cities.”

The Project PUMA (for “Personal Urban Mobility & Accessibility”) vehicle made its debut in advance of the New York Auto Show.

GM says the electric-powered, two-seat, two-wheeled vehicle could allow people to travel around cities more quickly, safely, quietly, cleanly and cost-efficiently.

“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. “Imagine small, nimble electric vehicles that know where other moving objects are and avoid running into them. 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.”

“We are excited to be working together to demonstrate a dramatically different approach to urban mobility,” added Jim Norrod, CEO of Segway. “The Project PUMA prototype embodies this completely through the combination of dynamic stabilization, seamless drive-by-wire controls, and sophisticated battery systems to complete the connection between the rider, environment and others.”

Built to carry two or more passengers, the Project PUMA vehicle can travel at speeds up to 56 kilometres per hour, with a range up to 56 kilometres between recharges. No word yet on when the vehicle would be potentially ready for market.

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