Segway announced on June 23 that it was ending the production of its hyped self-balancing scooter, the Segway Personal Transporter (PT). The company will stop manufacturing in its New Hampshire facility on July 15, laying off 21 employees, reported The Fast Company.
Segway has been a popular PT for the number of accidents and crashes it has been involved in rather than its self-balancing feature. What was worse was the death of the company’s former President, who died after driving the Segway PT off a cliff in 2009.
The PT was popular among tourists and security officers internationally. The Mumbai Police, recently, got its foot onboard for patrolling on the Segway. “Within its first decade, the Segway PT became a staple in security and law enforcement, viewed as an effective and efficient personal vehicle," Segway president Judy Cai said.
However, despite the popularity, the company failed to convert it in sales figures. It accounted for less than 1.5 percent of the company’s revenue last year. Segway’s original price tag in the US was a whopping $5,000, which may have been another reason for poor sales.
Another challenge for Segway was the learning curve that riders had to go through. The rider needed to balance in a specific leaning angle for the vehicle to move forward. If the weight distribution and angle were not accurate, it would go out of control.
After its production halts in July this year, Segway will lay off 21 employees and 12 others will continue working for up to a year. “This decision was not made lightly, and while the current global pandemic did impact sales and production, it was not a deciding factor in our decision,” Cai said.
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