$4 gas drives Segway sales to new high
Record prices for gasoline are driving people in need of transportation to look at all kinds of alternatives. Used small cars from the early '90s are attracting record high prices (ahem), and more people are investigating scooters, mopeds and motorcycles. One company that has seen a huge spike in sales is Segway. The self-balancing electric scooter has become something of a joke in the years since its introduction as its high price has often tended to limit its use to rich nerds like Apple founder Steve Wozniak. Woz and his friends even invented Segway polo.Increasingly though, Segways are being used as an alternative for short distance commuters. For someone who lives in a warm and preferably urban climate, the Segway's 25 mile range could provide a means to get around without the sweat that a bike ride might induce. Segway CEO Jim Norrod expects second quarter sales to be up 50 percent over the same period last year compared to a 25 percent jump in the first quarter. Of course, there is still that little detail of the $5,000 price tag. Given the limitations of the device, unless they can bring the price down, it will remain very much a niche product.
[Source: Wall Street Journal]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chris 6:11AM (6/17/2008)
What was really atrocious about this thing was the amount of money governments wasted on it. The number of fat cops and fat postal workers they showed using these in Atlanta made me realize this was the new "hoverround" (sp?). Only to survive on getting tax money to pay for it.
I really have to hand it to the press corps though, they almost always found fat government employees on them, never a normal person.
Reply
virgil 10:44AM (6/17/2008)
They just started using them to patrol the parking lots here, instead of driving around in a ford ranger. It's a nice gesture, but it'll be interesting to see how many of the parking attendants sign up for the segway come wintertime. I seriously doubt they handle well on an inch layer of ice.
Reply
bulgarian solicitor 6:03PM (6/17/2008)
This is the right time for an anti-grav hoverboard!
Reply