Your assumption is to only get 6 miles on a charge? When the NiMH batteries are rated for 12-14 miles per charge? I'd estimate that at low.

I'm 190 and my briefcase and lunch usually add about 10 more pounds, with the Segway rating at 260, and the LiON batteries which I have rated at 19-24 miles, and I get 21+ miles on a charge, so that's about 88% of the rating.

My guess is at worst you would get 10 miles per charge, so you could charge every trip and a half and be OK.

But why would you buy the NiMH batteries when the LiON are available anyway?

And if you want to include air pollution into the equation, the pollution generated by the 1 KWH of electricity you use for 10 miles of Segway use is miniscule versus the pollution created by 10 miles of driving a Suburban.

And in addition, when my LiON batteries stop giving me 21 miles, they will still WORK, they just won't hold a charge as well. I fully expect 4-5 years out of my batteries. Time will tell.

 

450 full charges is completely different from partial charges, which you would be doing with a 6 mile round trip. Your battery will last much longer if you only drain it halfway and keep it topped up in between trips. Completely draining a battery uses up its cycle life many times faster than draining it only 20-40%, and no further. That is why the Hybrid vehicles can go through many thousands of "cycles" with only minimal degradation in capacity over time: they never touch the bottom 40% of the battery capacity, and rarely go that far. Also, while the battery useful capacity will be diminished, they should be able to handle a 6-mile round trip for years.

A segway would be inconvenient as to get just about anywhere in my area requires a freeway trip, and literally every trip I take from home requires a significant hill climb to get back. What I would be interested in seeing is a fully highway capable elecrtic motorcycle. For a large portion of my trips, a motorcycle would be nearly as functional as an elecrtic car, but at much less up-front cost for the batteries.

 

How does one charge batteries every 1.5 trips?

I got that data from a Segway battery faq. I spent a lot of times in forums. I don't think you could expect someone my size to get much further than 8 miles at top speed. And I don't think the estimates for battery life are unrealistic. Some people got more charges, some less. We're talking about a daily commute, maximum weight, maximum speed, almost draining the battery twice a day.

Want to talk emissions? Why do you think the battery costs $600? Manufacturing energy input... aka emissions. And per dollar, electricity is almost always higher in CO2 emissions (excepting nuclear and renewable grid power). So while the energy and emissions associated with building a car are definitely higher, the ongoing emissions of the Segway don't look too attractive to me either.

I went and did research and listened to what real owner's experiences were (months ago). You can argue about how you "think" it should be all you want.

My recollection is that the Lion batteries didn't end up any cheaper in the long run, though I could probably squeeze a round trip out of them.

The Segway is a toy... and I think it's a cool one. But if you really want efficient travel and would like to save the earth, consider a bicycle or a scooter.

 

I'd think lars-ss can best speak about the Segway, since he is the only one that has one at GH.

 

And I respect your right to be wrong, Delta.

 

This discussion has prompted me to read about the Segway. Considering the prices and specs on these things, there is no way I would consider one of these things over a bicycle. A top speed of 12.5mph and a range of 20 miles is not much in return for a price of $5,000. Of course, that's just my personal opinion.

I have never seen one of these things in person.

 

Sorry to interrupt with an on-topic comment.

Although I did find Bedard's thoughts a bit irritating and inflamatory this month, to be fair, this was an editorial. Although they are among the most scientifically rigorous of car magazines at testing cars, Car and Driver has never claimed to be a science journal. I doubt even editorials in science magazines are peer reviewed.

 

Ever try in a job interview to get a leg up on another canidate with expericence on an app or field of business you don't? While the experienced guy does not win 100% of the time, their track record is impressive.

Notice I don't talk about how to drive a Prius? The people who have one are probably more qualified to talk about it.

What if the reporters writing on hybrids had a lot more experience driving them? A lot of people here would bet the reviews would be more positive....

lars-ss seems happy with his Segway...

Maybe it's time to get off this tangent.

 

That's why I started the thread. You read so much from different perspectives, I was interested in what folks thought to possibly help us all better discern between truth and marketing. I thought the editorial was interesting, but I don't think it's grounds to ignore the situation by any means. Sometimes I think the hysteria generated over global warming does not serve the truth, but serves hidden political agendas. I think our dependence on a finite resource will force us to seek alternatives in the next 100 years over a debatable climate change. The fact oil will run out one day is a fact. Attributing a climate change to one cause or another can and will be debated for a long time.

 

Hey, I don't want to turn this into a Segway discussion AT ALL, but let me make a couple of points to finalize my input on the situation....

For me, a Segway is not a toy. I work hard for a living, and $6,000 was not easily acquired. I'm about as far from being a "rich guy" as you can get and still have a college degree and a good job. Without my weekly paycheck, I would be without income at all.

I bought it to use as a commuter device. Every time I use it for a commute, I save between 36 and 42 cents on gas versus driving my TCH.

I intend to put 1400-1600 miles on it a year. Segways were designed to get people OUT OF THEIR CARS and onto the sidewalk. Regardless of what numbers you want to try to drub up, riding a Segway IN PLACE OF A CAR is much less polluting, less costly from an energy standpoint, and in the end MUCH better for the environment. Speaking of emissions created by manufacturing the battery: How much pollution do you think a TCH created in manufacture? Far more than a Segway, for sure.

Long-term, I plan to move to a condo nearer my work in about 9 years. I will then be able to Segway the entire commute, with my kids off in college by that time. I will be replacing TONS of vehicle exhaust with mere pounds of what my Segway electricity generation creates.

Riding a bike is out of the question in Phoenix - it's just too dang hot. I could do it, but then it would be showering at work, carrying changes of clothes, etc. Then in the afternoon when I got to my car, sweaty ride home, then showering at home. It's far too much work for me, what with being the single dad of two kids under age 10 which does not leave me a lot of options.

If CaptainObvious wants to diss a Segway, that's fine for him to have his opinion. Maybe in HIS SITUATION, a Segway is not right for HIM.

But I know for a fact it's right for me, and it's right for the environment.

P.S. I also pay my utility company an extra $1 per month to be a part of their "Clean Power" program. So the money I spend on charging my Segway comes from clean sources like wind, water, and solar.