Segway Releases Attachment that Emits V8 Engine Sounds
I’m…not quite sure what to make of this. The Segway…the dorkiest form of personal transportation in the history of ever…can now sound like a Mustang. Let that sink in…
We’re talking about the Segway, the two-decade-old electric scooter invented by Dean Kamen that’s capable of a brisk 12.5 miles per hour for 24 miles on a full charge. And that can now sound like a muscle car. Is this like calling a human gorilla “tiny”?
The company has released the Ninebot Engine Speaker, a Bluetooth wireless speaker that straps onto Segway / Ninebot electric scooters, GoKarts, electric bikes, and more. It runs on a 2,200mAh battery, good for nearly a full day’s worth, and emits a V8 engine sound.
Course, I seriously doubt the Ninebot Speaker was intended for the classic Segway, unless you want some confused looks. The V8 speaker is actually a great fit, though, for Segway’s new Super Scooter GT-series, which can accelerate to 30 mph in 3.9 seconds, with a top speed of 43.5 mph.
That peppy little scooter is more akin to a go-kart than the infamously dorky Segway, and a V8 engine sound is actually a great idea to warn pedestrians.
What’s really funny is this whole situation is a microcosm of what’s happened with road-worthy electric vehicles – since EVs are about as loud as golf carts, they present a certain danger to pedestrians, especially at lower speeds.
That weird scenario led the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to pass a law in 2016 requiring most new EVs and hybrids to emit noise when travelling < 19 mph (at speeds greater than that, factors like tire and wind noise “provide adequate audible warning to pedestrians.”
I suppose Segway wanted to get out ahead of regulators and make their new souped-up scooter that much safer.
The Ninebot Engine Speaker runs $149.99.
