Aren’t pumas supposed to be fast?

GM’s latest attempt to go small is the two-wheeled electric PUMA, or the Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility project. The motor company partnered with Segway to create it, and it’s basically a Segway built for two. (Some critics liken it to a moto-rickshaw.) Topping out at 25-35 miles per hour, it’s intended for short distances on roads where the speed limit doesn’t go above its own. A three-hour charge of its battery would cost about 35 cents, according to its makers, and it could run for 25-35 miles on that charge. GM says it could begin production on the PUMA by 2012.

It’s either a step in the right direction or just another example of how people will try anything to get out of riding a bike.