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CITY OF CHICAGO RELEASES CONTRACT FOR SEGWAY PT PROCUREMENT
City Plans To Acquire Up To 100 Additional Segway PTs In Next Five Years
BEDFORD, N.H. – May 30, 2006 – Segway Inc., developer of Segway® Smart Motion™ technology and manufacturer of the Segway Personal Transporter (PT), today announced that the City of Chicago has released a five-year, $580,000 contract to purchase Segway PTs and associated accessories, replacement parts and service. This contract, which was awarded to Segway Experience of Chicago LLC, is the largest municipal contract in the history of Segway.
The contract is strong evidence of the growth in the police/security market for Segway and its channel partners. Worldwide, more than 125 law enforcement agencies now use Segway PTs to patrol a variety of environments, including high-density urban centers, universities, medical center campuses, shopping malls and airports. Another dozen federal and municipal agencies use the products for bomb squad response and explosive ordinance disposal. The Washington D.C. Metro Police, Albuquerque Police Department, University of Maryland Police Department and Miami-Dade County have all recently purchased Segway PT fleets.
“On both domestic and international fronts we are seeing strong momentum in the police and security sector, and we expect it to continue for the foreseeable future,” says Klee Kleber, vice president of marketing, Segway Inc. “The patrol and community policing capabilities of the Segway PT have now been proven by some of the largest police forces in the U.S., and the environmental profile of the product enables agencies to reduce fuel costs and vehicle emissions. Together, these factors have placed us in an enviable market position.”
The Chicago contract will allow the city to acquire up to 100 additional Segway PTs for use by a number of city departments, including Police, Fire, Airport Operations and Emergency Management. The city already owns more than 50 units that are used by officers to patrol O’Hare and Midway Airports and the downtown and lakefront areas of the city. The Chicago Fire Department also uses Segway PTs to provide EMS response during events.
“The Chicago Police and Fire Departments have found that Segway HT’s enhance patrols and shorten police and EMS response times,” said William Johnson, president of Segway Experience of Chicago, LLC. “They also know that these machines use no gasoline and will play a valuable role in holding down department fuel costs. The big winners are the citizens of Chicago who will enjoy a superior level of safety and security in the city’s airports and downtown.”
In late 2005 Segway introduced its i180 Police package, which includes a collection of high-demand police accessories. This model configuration is the basis for many of the purchases by municipal police and private security firms in recent months. There are several unique capabilities of the Segway PT that appeal to patrol officers:
- Officers stand 8 inches taller on a Segway PT, enabling them to see and be seen over crowds and automobiles.
- Segway PTs use no gasoline and give off no emissions, allowing officers to patrol indoors and out.
- With a range of up to 24 miles on a single charge of its batteries and a top-speed of 12.5 m.p.h., the Segway PT allows an officer to cover far more area than he or she could on foot.
- Segway PTs are self-balancing, even when standing still. This makes them an ideal patrol tool when moving through crowds on sidewalks or in airport terminals and shopping malls.
- The Segway PT operates extremely quietly, enabling an officer to unobtrusively survey situations or respond to alarms. Front and side cargo systems allow the officer to carry extra gear, including EMS equipment.
- With the exception of battery recharging there is no regular maintenance required on the Segway PT. The device can also be used in the rain and cold, and its batteries are operable to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Battery recharging costs are extremely low -- approximately 25 cents per day.
- Officers are also more approachable when on Segway PTs making them highly effective in community policing applications.
About Segway
Segway Inc. develops intelligent motion control technology known as Segway® Smart Motion™ that is embedded in the light electric transportation devices it manufactures, such as the well-known Segway® Personal Transporter (PT). Segway Smart Motion provides intelligent motion control that enables a device to monitor its environment, control its motion and make decisions about how it should move.
Segway markets a full line of zero-emissions Segway PTs for sidewalk and cross-terrain use that deliver impressive energy efficiency – equivalent to 450 miles per gallon/191 kilometers per liter of fuel. The company’s line of Segway Robotic Mobility Platforms (RMPs) offers reliable, durable mobility solutions for robotic applications.
Segway Inc., based in Bedford, N.H., U.S.A, has a worldwide distribution network of more than 250 retail points in 61 countries. For additional information about Segway and to find retail locations, please visit www.segway.com or call 1-866-4SEGWAY. Media materials and digital images are available at the Segway Press Center.
