Segways, A Green Alternative for Transportation

The Segway PT was invented around the turn of the century (this past one) by Dean Kamen – the guy who created the world’s first iBot; a wheelchair with revolutionary design engineering that allows it to climb stairs, glide over uneven ground, and go safely where no wheelchair has ever been able to venture before. It enjoyed a hyped-up rollout in worthy of the iPhone – or any Microsoft product. Kamen went so far as to proclaim it an invention that would change the face of transportation as we knew it.

Well, not quite…but riding it is an amazing experience.

Segways have practically no carbon footprint

The Segway PT also out-greens the most fuel efficient motor scooter in the marketplace, offering zero emissions and 24 miles-plus on a single 10 cent electric charge. ("Plus," because, like hybrid cars, the battery also charges itself on the friction caused by starting and stopping motions typical of urban traffic).

While Segway PTs haven’t exactly overtaken the marketplace, the privately-owned company reports that it has increased sales of the gliders 50 percent year over year, although no actual numbers have ever been released.

The machines are being taken up by police departments in many areas. Portland, Oregon’s police force uses them, as do many other police agencies around the country.

"When gas is $4.30 a gallon or more, these PTs become pretty attractive alternatives," Jack White, a Segway PT dealer in Poughkeepsie, NY explained. "Think about it, you can pay $250 or so a month for gas to get yourself around, or you can spend $125 a month to finance a Segway, and then pay only about a dime a charge to run it."

Not all states allow Segways on the road - yet

A current drawback to their adoption is the fact that Segways function somewhere in the gray zone, as far as state’s DMVs are concerned. 42 states have passed laws that acknowledge them as non-motorized vehicles, like bicycles, and allow for their general use. The rest are still considering what to do about them on local streets. Some local laws also protect them, some don’t – so it’s best to check with local authorities before just heading out.

What’s it feel like to ride a Segway?

Segways can cover about 9 times more ground in the same time as a person can walk it on foot – with far less exertion - making them a really efficient alternative to walking.

Learning to ride a Segway does take a bit of training, however. Typically, says White, learning to feel comfortable controlling the glider safely over varying terrain, and in city traffic situations, takes around half an hour to master.

Basically, the Segway PT is controlled by shifting your center of gravity, as you stand on the scooter. Lean forward, and you go forward – the farther you lean into it, the faster you go. Top speed is 12 miles an hour. Lean back and shift your center of gravity by squatting slightly, and you stop…or glide backwards, if you aren’t careful. Shift slightly to the right, you glide right – Shift to the left, you glide left.

After a while, it’s all pretty effortless and you feel like you’re literally drifting over the ground, watching the world float by at a very comfortable pace. When you at last disembark, walking loses much of its former appeal.

Riding Segways by the Hudson River

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