Ever seen anyone riding a Segway? "Bigger than the Internet," hyped Dean Kamen as he launched his self-balancing, motorised scooter. It was supposed to revolutionise human transportation as we know it, but crossing the Atlantic it met legal wrangles over safety - Segways are designed for the pavement, but this would require a change of law in Britain. That, and its high price (typically £2,800/$5,350), have meant that only about 50 have been sold in the UK.
When it comes to personal transport revolutions, we British have been here before. Inventor, Sir Clive Sinclair launched his one-seater electric vehicle in 1984. It was a commercial disaster and only 12,000 were ever made. Read more in this story from BBC News Online:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3586264.stm
At £200 the C5 wasn't cheap, but this wasn't its main problem. The vehicle was demonstrated navigating busy city streets and potential buyers soon got the idea that they'd be sat at exhaust level in rush hour traffic. It also didn't look very safe.
The Segway has the same problem. OK, so you're not breathing in fumes while you ride it, but you still look like a wally/dufus. Grey in colour, weird - in short, it's just not cool. And it's image was hardly helped by Kamen in his helmet at its launch. Take a look at the photo - is this how you'd like to be seen?
It looks as though Segway may have realised this. New versions sport chunky off-road wheels and brighter colours. Its latest Centaur concept looks the business.
http://www.segway.com/centaur/
Whether Segway has the guts to manufacture it remains to be seen. It's likely to be even more expensive, so sales will be low. Yet, it could be the halo product that gives the brand the cool that it so desperately needs.
