(March 24, 2010) SHANGHAI — By 2030, urban areas will be home to more than 60 percent of the world’s 8 billion people.  This will put tremendous pressure on a public infrastructure that is already struggling to meet the growing demand for transportation and basic services.

General Motors and its strategic partner, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC), share a common vision for addressing the need for personal mobility through a radical change in personal urban transportation.  They are exploring several solutions for tomorrow’s drivers.  Among the most promising is a new vehicle form called EN-V.

EN-V, short for Electric Networked-Vehicle, maintains the core principle of personal mobility — freedom – while helping remove the motor vehicle from the environmental debate and redefining design leadership.  EN-V is a two-seat electric vehicle that was designed to alleviate concerns surrounding traffic congestion, parking availability, air quality and affordability for tomorrow’s cities.

Three EN-V models were unveiled today in Shanghai.

“EN-V reinvents the automobile by creating a new vehicle DNA through the convergence of electrification and connectivity.  It provides an ideal solution for urban mobility that enables future driving to be free from petroleum and emissions, free from congestion and accidents, and more fun and fashionable than ever before,” said Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group.

EN-V’s platform has evolved from the platform of the Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility prototype that was developed by Segway and debuted in April 2009.  Segway has worked collaboratively with GM to develop and deliver multiple copies of the drivetrain platform that seamlessly connect to and power the various EN-Vs.

EN-V is propelled by electric motors in each of its two driving-mode wheels.  Dynamic stabilization technology empowers EN-V, giving it the unique ability to carry two passengers and light cargo in a footprint that’s about a third of a traditional vehicle.

Power for the motors is provided by lithium-ion batteries that produce zero emissions. Recharging can occur from a conventional wall outlet using standard household power, allowing EN-V to travel at least25 miles  on a single charge.