Energy efficiency study finds Segways are 5-20 times more energy efficient than cars
I don't own a Segway, but I have used them on several occasions. In the grand scheme of transportation devices, Segway fits between an electric bicycle and an electric scooter. Segway's claim to fame is its unique balancing system and space saving dimensions. The EPA reports that most people use their automobiles for local trips of 5 miles or less – that famous "trip to the store to buy a quart of milk" that a bicycle, a Segway, or a scooter could perform.
Segway reported last month that using a Segway is - and this should come as no surprise - more energy efficient and greener than using hybrids, conventional cars, or SUVs for these trips: 5.5 to 20 times greener (fewer greenhouse gases). Bicycles and scooters were not however included in the comparison.
Thus the dilemma continues. Bikes, scooters, and even Segways suffer from the same limitations: Lack of all weather capability, lack of carrying capacity, and relative lack of safety protection. Yet, all are clearly greener and more efficient. All over the country, the cell-phone using, SUV driving public is making pedestrian and bike rider safety a worrisome issue. As Kermit the Frog says, "It ain't easy being Green."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
MikeW 4:44PM (5/15/2007)
It would have nice to see how well the BMW C1 would have went in the States.
Fast enough
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5688245794912549953&q=BMW+C1&hl=en
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Joseph 7:12PM (5/15/2007)
Is this supposed to be surprising?
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Peter 12:03AM (5/16/2007)
I would venture a guess that a bicycle is still significantly more energy efficient than a Segway. Many analyses say that a bicycle is in fact the most efficient way for a human to move, period.
Say you put out 200W on a road bike and that allows you to travel at 20mph. Keep that up for an hour and you've used 200Wh to go 20 miles - a rate of 10Wh/mile. For comparison, if a Prius burns one gallon of gasoline (about 33kWh of chemical energy) to travel 60 miles, that's a rate of 550Wh/mile or 55 times as much energy.
For more info, here's a neat bicycle power and speed estimator:
http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm
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Howard Lee Harkness 9:25AM (5/16/2007)
If you don't want to use a bicycle to go to your local grocery store, there are adult tricycles with enough carrying capacity to haul a moderate load of groceries. Not only more efficient that a Segway, but cheaper. Probably just as safe, if not safer, too.
The Segway is a solution for which there is no real problem. I've seen a demo of the Segway presented by a dealer/enthusiast, and it does look like it might be fun to use. If you enjoy it as a toy, and can afford one, that's not a problem. But pretending that it is somehow practical is a joke.
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FD 9:44AM (5/16/2007)
Need more stuff capacity for the bike ... try an extracycle ... add electric assist like a stokemonkey if you can't crank out big loads.
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bill 12:54PM (5/16/2007)
This is stunning news, but I am well ahead of the game. I am offsetting the high price of gas by employing a rotating team of illegal immigrants to push my car to the store when all I need is milk. The nearest store is too far to walk to, but close enough that the engine in my car does not reach its optimal operating temperature. I would not be employing illegal immigrants to push my car, but I have not been able to find legal immigrants or native born Americans willing to do the job.
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