At the Shanghai auto show, in one of the most densely populated cities on the globe, General Motors is introducing a new mode of personal transportation it calls the EN-V, for Electric Networked Vehicle. (Apparently LG Electronics must not own the trademark rights for personal transport devices, only
mobile phones.)
GM's EN-V is a single-axle, two wheeled electric pod with seating for two. It balances itself using the same mechanism as a Segway scooter. It's about one-third the size of a conventional car, and it can turn on its own axis.
The EN-V is based on the PUMA concept revealed a couple of years ago in New York. When we "drove" the PUMA, it was controlled by reclining or sitting forward in the seat, while holding a yoke; tilting the yoke steered it. (Read: "
Riding in the GM/Segway PUMA.")
The EN-V's body is fully enclosed with a Pac-Man-like lid, as
Jalopnik quipped.
The EN-V has an autonomous mode that uses GPS to plot routes for passengers who would rather text than drive.
Lithium-ion batteries can be recharged from a standard wall socket, and it promises to give the EN-V a range of about 40 miles.
While the EN-V is just a concept, it shows GM's thinking about future ways to address energy savings, pollution, and traffic congestion in major cities. Developing an affordable personal transport solution that works well in Asia makes sense, as GM is China's second-largest automaker with its Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC).
—
Eric Evarts
