The two-wheeled, self-balancing vehicle promised to revolutionise transport when it launched in 2001, but the Segway never achieved its goal
Production of the Segway PT (Personal Transporter) – perhaps the most recognisable product manufactured by the company of the same name – will cease next month, it has been confirmed.
The self-balancing, two-wheeled personal light electric vehicle (PLEV) is currently built at a factory in the US state of New Hampshire, but the final example will roll off the production line on 15 July.
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Best electric scooters 2020The Segway PT launched in 2001 and was hailed as the future of personal urban transportation. Although the product earned popularity with city tour guides – as well as some security companies and police forces – the general public never bought it in big numbers.
In 2015, Segway was purchased by Chinese rival firm Ninebot. The company now produces a variety of different PLEVs – including e-scooters, electric roller skates and even a go-kart.
Segway president Judy Cai announced the end of PT production, saying: “Within its first decade, the Segway PT became a staple in security and law enforcement, viewed as an effective and efficient personal vehicle.”
Over the course of the Segway PT’s 19-year lifespan, it’s been involved in a number of high-profile accidents. In 2003, US President George W Bush was pictured falling off a Segway, while Usain Bolt collided with a cameraman who was riding one in 2015.
Not all accidents involving the Segway were minor, though – some had tragic consequences. In 2009, the then-owner of Segway – Jimi Heselden – accidentally drove his PT off a cliff and crashed into the River Wharfe in West Yorkshire. The crash cost Heselden his life, with the coroner finding that he had been attempting to let a dog-walker pass when the incident occurred.
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