Segway Calls It Quits!

The Segway PT cruiser was one of the biggest cultural phenomena of the early 2000s. This two-wheel self-balancing mobility device was built around the idea of leaving your cars (and big American trucks) at home for grocery runs and using something light and compact instead. It was so popular that it was used as a prop in several Hollywood productions. It was also part of the US president Bush’s fleet of vehicles (that ended hilariously, Google it) and a couple of Ken Block’s Gymkhana videos for shooting action bits up close. Sadly, this icon is past its prime and parent company Ninebot has pulled the plug on it.

Yes, Segway will no longer be operational as it accounted for only 1.5 per cent of Ninebot’s revenue. The PT cruiser was a hit with the American police departments and the tourism industry but it struggled to take off among the masses. In the 19 years of its existence, Segway sold around 1,40,000 units of the PT Cruiser, which is rather less for what it was intended to be.

With electric and sustainable mobility solutions now being all the rage, the PT Cruiser would have been apt for the times but there was no respite in its prices. It was still retailing between USD 6,000 and USD 10,000 (roughly Rs 4.25 lakh and Rs 7.55 lakh) depending on the feature set. In the US, you could get an e-bike for a fraction of the money and nearly as much convenience.

And just like most of the great bits from the early-2000s -- Apple iPods, DVD players and the Suzuki Hayabusa (Sob!) -- the Segway chapter also draws to a close.