Segway Look-Alike, Can It Compete?

[Clark Gilbert]

I was checking out the TechTV (http://www.techtv.com) website and came across this article about an upcoming feature on their show Tech News (http://www.techtv.com/news/index.html/). Although the episode for this aired earlier today there is a possibility you could catch a re-run. It seems that a company that has created a scooter that looks pretty close to the Segway. "Q Electric Chariot" (http://www.rad2go.com/images/BackPageAdFinal.gif) looks like a tricked out Segway with more wheels. The website Rad2Go.com (http://www.rad2go.com/preview.htm) has it for sale for $1199.00 with free shipping.

Also it looks like Tech News will have a feature on "Inside Segway Dealerships" (http://www.techtv.com/news/shownotes/story/0,24195,3621625,00.html), Tuesday (2/24) at 8p.m and Wednesday at 10a.m. and 1p.m. Eastern.

Overall the Q Electric Chariot looks like a cheap rip off, but I thought it was interesting enough to share.

:)

[KenWittlief]

300 watts? thats less than half a HP! that thing will be a dog on a hill.

Also, when you try to stop quickly you will go right over the handlebars. The awesome thing about the Segway is that it quickly becomes an extension of yourself - the selfbalancing seems like it anticipates where you want it to go.

This knockoff with too many wheels, on the otherhand, looks very unstable.

Worst thing about this isnt the competition with Segway, its that people will ride the clone and say, "Man what a piece of junk this is" and then they will assume the Segway is the Sameway.

[sanddrag]

Pep Boys even sells them now. $999. They even have financing available.

EDIT: I looked a little closer at this hunk of junk and it isn't even variable speed. What a ripoff!

Now what might be cool is to hack off those stupid caster wheels, and fit this thing with a gyro, speed control, and processor. It would still be very underpowered but at least it would work a lot better.

[KenWittlief]

it wouldnt have enough power (response time) to balance itself

[Aaron Knight]

Links seem to be broken. Anyone have a cached version?

[sanddrag]

Just Google "Q electric chariot"

[Aaron Knight]

Meh. Doesn't have quite the same coolness factor as a segway - it's like saying the Dell Digital jukebox or whatever is the same as an iPod....just because they're both music products :)

[coreyjon]

What a cheap knockoff, This dosnt even compare with the coolness of a segway.