- NEW YORK (Reuters)
- Segway LLC, makers of a much-hyped electric-powered scooter that has
captured the imagination of many technophiles, said on Monday that consumers
could begin ordering the pricey vehicles on Amazon.com.
-
- Two years after rumors of its existence set the high-tech
world abuzz, the Segway Human Transporter has gone on sale for $4,950 on
Amazon.com, the companies said in a statement. Deliveries start in March
on a first come, first served basis.
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- The Human Transporter is a self-balancing, high-tech
chariot compact enough to be driven on sidewalks. The device looks like
a lawn mower, but it is driven instead of pushed.
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- "The Segway Human Transporter is one of the most
famous and anticipated product introductions of all time," Jeff Bezos,
chief executive and founder of Amazon.com, said in heralding the availability
of the vehicles on the online retailer's site.
-
- Bezos was one of the high-tech leaders whose blessing
for the mysterious device once known as "It" helped spark widespread
anticipation of what advocates said could represent a revolutionary breakthrough
in human transportation: one that could eventually replace cars, scooters,
even bicycles.
-
- A spokeswoman for Segway, which is based in Manchester,
New Hampshire, said customers who order before Dec. 16 will be entered
into an "early delivery contest." Thirty winners will receive
the vehicles in time for Christmas.
-
- Segway believes it has enough manufacturing capacity
to meet demand because the company relies on standard industry components
from suppliers such as Michelin and Delphi Corp. However, it only guarantees
shipment by August.
-
- And while the move puts consumers closer to stepping
on the electric-powered scooters, a variety of hurdles remain to gaining
mainstream acceptance, including the vehicle's hefty price tag and a tangle
of state legal restrictions.
-
- Thirty-two states have passed laws approving so-called
personal mobility devices like the Human Transporter. Eleven states have
yet to act, including New York, Massachusetts, Illinois and Oregon. Seven
mostly rural states have no prohibitions on the use of powered vehicles
on sidewalks.
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- The Segway Human Transporter is the brainchild of prolific
millionaire inventor Dean Kamen, whose innovations include a stair-climbing
wheelchair and a portable insulin pump. Further details can be found at
http://www.segway.com.
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