Yesterday I was surfing around the web and came across an article about Segway’s Project P.U.M.A., which at first glance looks like the lovechild of an electric wheelchair and a fancy bike trailer. It is, however (as you might’ve guessed from the picture), a two-passenger, souped-up version of a Segway. That means it runs on battery power (clean and green), has a zero turn radius, and the hope is that it will become a viable transportation option for the masses.

Now, the Segway itself hasn’t exactly become mainstream, but it lacks several things the P.U.M.A will provide (cover, ability to bring a passenger, and higher speed capability). And the marketing on this, already, years before it may be available to the public, has been really smart—the idea is that it’s an urban option, ideal for relatively short distances and easy to park due to its compact size.

And I’m going to admit, right here, that maybe I’m missing something because I’m not a city-dweller, but I wonder what impact—if any—this will have on city congestion when there are already lots of great transportation options like the subway (not as green, I suppose, except that it carries so many people and removes parking congestion) and bicycles (not always practical, I know).

I can’t stop watching this video of the P.U.M.A. in action, though. It’s pretty slick-looking. I don’t really see myself driving one to the grocery store (my kids would have to draw straws to see who’d be relegated to the roof), but who knows? Maybe in ten years, they’ll be a common sight in cities.