Transportation - Segway Personal Transporter i2 / x2

More than six years after inventor Dean Kamen unveiled his revolutionary Personal Transporter (PT) device, the Segway has not displaced cars from the road.

Perhaps it's not too surprising. Riding a Segway requires balance and finesse. It's more like dancing than the somewhat mindless activity of driving.

My sole Segway experience took place on a tour of Naples, Florida. Once I got the hang of it, directing a Segway this way and that simply by leaning your body and twisting a handlebar was pretty darn exhilarating.

In any case, Segway has definitely found niche market success. As mentioned above, tour guides use them to whisk people around cities from New Orleans to Budapest. Security personnel use them to gain height and mobility in parking lots, malls and airports.

If you haven't tried a Segway in the last couple of years, you might want to hop on one of the new i2 and x2 models released in 2006. The whole twist-handlebar-to-turn feature (the one I described above) has been phased out in favor of a more intuitive LeanSteer™ technology. Basically, you move the whole handlebar frame left or right to move in your desired direction.

Since Segways are zero-emission vehicles, they qualify as super green transportation choices. Of course, you still have to recharge the Segway's motors, gyroscopes and computers using electricity. Depending on where your electricity comes from, that could make the Segway a bit less greener transportation option, but you'll certainly create less pollution that a motorist or even a scooter driver. (Calculate your exact pollution savings using the Green Calculator on the Social Segway site...)

Before you run out and buy a Segway, keep in mind that laws on the use of Segways differ by state and even by community.

Still, if you have the money (models start at a smidge over $5000), the Segway could be a great option to reduce your use of cars and gasoline. (And with gas prices at stratospheric levels, you could be making back the money on a gas-free Segway in a hurry!)

Where to buy:
Find your closest Segway dealer from the worldwide network.