A partnership between GM and Segway may seem a little strange. After all, GM is battling on the brink of bankruptcy and Segways spend almost as much time in comedy sketches as they do on the streets. That hasn’t stopped the duo, however, from moving forward with Project P.U.M.A. (Personal Urban Mobility & Accessibility).

The P.U.M.A is a battery-powered enclosed two-wheeled vehicle designed to easily maneuver even crowded streets without requiring a lot of work on the part of the driver. Segway currently markets their personal Segways for use when traveling over 2 kilometers (two kilometers or less being a distance one can walk without much problem) and is pitching the P.U.M.A as an over-10 kilometers alternative to the personal Segways. Still, the length and distance of trips would be limited by the 35 mph speed cap and the approximate 35 miles the P.U.M.A. could travel on one battery charge. A bigger selling point, however, would likely be the fact that the P.U.M.A can carry two (and possibly more) passengers.

With about 5-8 hours required to recharge the battery and a cost of about $0.60 per charge, GM and Segway’s new personal transporter could be an excellent environmental choice for those who wouldn’t be adversely affected by the distance and speed limitations. However, it’s hard to beat the bicycle in terms of eco-transportation and if there would primarily be just one passenger in the P.U.M.A who wasn’t against a little workout, it wouldn’t stand up to the more famous two-wheeled transportation.

If it sounds like the P.U.M.A would fit your needs well, we’ve got some disappointing news. It won’t be available for a few years—the approximate date has been set as 2012—as GM and Segway still have to work out the kinks on their design and test it more thoroughly. Until then you’ll have to make do with a bicycle and maybe one of the hybrid cars that is on the market now.

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