Most Americans recognize the Segway name from the stand-up two-wheelers that used to dominate city tour groups. After all, the company was founded in New Hampshire in 1999 by inventor Dean Kamen and developed several innovative stand-up vehicles during the 2000s and early 2010s. In 2015, Segway combined with Chinese brand Ninebot (founded in 2013) to research, develop, manufacture, sell, and service short-distance transportation.
In 2019, Segway-Ninebot launched the Segway Powersports division, debuting it with three hybrid powertrain all-terrain vehicles at EICMA in Milan, Italy. Given this storied background of innovation, it’s no wonder that now, five years later, the Segway Powersports brand — for the North American market in particular — is taking off.
Segway Powersports held its first-ever Global Dealer Conference in Changzhou, China, from June 26-27, 2024, not only to celebrate this tremendous growth, but also to announce the launch of new vehicles as well as a vision for the future.
A Progressive Growth Mindset
With powersports often touted as being “10 years behind the automotive industry,” Segway has set itself apart by pushing the needle forward, and given the company’s geographical base, it’s no wonder that innovation is surprising the American market.
Driving through China, I was astounded at the number of not just new but electric vehicles on the road — from Teslas and myriad Chinese brands to the flocks of electric scooters weaving fearlessly through traffic. Of course, this makes sense in light of the fact that China plans to phase out fossil-fueled cars by 2035, requiring that half of all sold must be electric, fuel-cell or plug-in hybrid while the other half be hybrid, according to the World Economic Forum. Furthermore, the International Energy Agency notes that in 2023, just under 60% of all new electric car registrations occurred in China.
Photo courtesy of Segway Powersports
In addition, the country is digital-first and hyperconnected. For instance, Chinese society has become largely cashless (most payments are done through payment apps), and GPS software is even connected to stoplights, counting down how long red and green lights will last. With Segway’s manufacturing base surrounded by such technology, it becomes evident how and why the company has pushed itself to evolve in what appears to be an otherwise stagnant industry.
Segway prides itself not only on its self-developed engine, which undergoes 20 straight hours of dyno testing each day over a six-day period for its vehicles, but also its Smart Moving App, which notifies a rider’s emergency contact if it detects that a vehicle has rolled over. Moreover, the company is continuing to refine its hybrid powertrain in the Super Villain sport side-by-side announced last fall and is looking at developing electric platform technologies in the future.
Today, Segway has a presence in over 60 countries/regions with over 1,000 sales and service networks — a fact that it celebrated at its Global Dealer Conference. During one presentation, Segway charted its growth across its different markets. The brand has absolutely exploded in North and South America, growing by a whopping 96% and 93%, respectively; Asia-Pacific saw a 64% increase, while Europe also grew by 15%.
Randy Cole, dealer principal of Texas Tractor Country, who received an Outstanding Sales Performance Award at the conference as the top U.S. Segway dealer, believes that, similar to how CFMoto has disrupted the main motorcycle OEMs, Segway is the next brand poised for such evolution and growth.
“When people realize the quality of [Segway’s] machine and the reliability of this machine … I think people are going to demand more value [of other brands]. It’s not just price — price and value are two different things — but their [expectations for their dollar] are going to be very high, and I think that’s where Segway has really hit a mark,” Cole affirms.
A Global Vision
Segway Powersports is dedicated to using customer and dealer feedback to enhance its products. However, given the company’s many markets and their varying needs, it can be a tough act to juggle. After all, what’s desirable in the European market isn’t necessarily a fit for the U.S. one, and vice versa.
After taking a tour of the factory, I got a rare opportunity to go even further behind the scenes of the production process. I sat in on a meeting between the U.S. and Chinese Segway teams, where they discussed the new production models we had just seen, and the U.S. members took the opportunity to offer their opinions on how the vehicles could be improved to sell in our market. It was a prime opportunity to see how dedicated the U.S. team is to ensuring its customers get the high-quality products they expect from the Segway brand.
“What sets Segway apart is our performance, technology and style,” asserts Jason Walling, vice president of sales and marketing for Segway Powersports U.S. “We want to provide the best product and support. Our next mission is to improve our infrastructure to provide an easy and reliable partner before and after the sale.”
New Vehicle Updates
During the conference, Segway announced the launch of two new vehicles — the UT6 and AT10 — as well as a partnership with K-man shocks.
UT6
Segway’s current UTV offering is the UT10, available in both standard and crew models. Where the UT10 is a full-size offering across the board, Segway will now bring a mid-sized-engine model with full-sized chassis to the market. The UT6 boasts a 570cc, four-stroke, single-cylinder, dual-overhead camshaft (DOHC) engine that puts out 44 horsepower. It comes in two trim levels — Standard and Premium — with differential lock on the front for the Standard and front and rear for the Premium trim.
I had a chance to take the UT6 for a spin during the conference’s demo ride day, cresting sharp hills and barreling through mud and flooded sections of track. The UT6 handled the soggy terrain without a problem — and proved to be a smooth ride to boot.
Photo courtesy of Segway Powersports
The UT6 also features an enlarged bed measuring 54.5-by-37.8-by-12.2 inches and a 1,000-pound capacity (excluding California, which is 600 pounds by law). The Premium model not only boasts a 10.4-inch infotainment screen and 4,500-pound winch, but also comes with a fully enclosed cab sporting a glass windshield (with wiper) and a full door as well as a heating system.
AT10
The AT10 is a powerhouse ATV sporting a 999cc, four-stroke, parallel-twin cylinder DOHC engine that puts out 96 horsepower and has a 38-degree climbing angle. It comes in four trim levels — EPS, Premium, W Premium and W Mud — the lattermost version customized specifically for muddy terrain and extreme conditions. All levels feature front/rear differential lock and LED lamps (except for the EPS trim, which features halogen). All versions include a backrest, handlebar guard and 4,500-pound winch.
To pump up excitement for the new ATV, Segway treated conference attendees to a performance show starring the AT10, impressing viewers with a variety of tricks, including donuts, wheelies and sideways riding. Unfortunately, what puts a damper on this excitement is that the U.S. market is not due to see the AT10 — or any Segway ATVs — in the foreseeable future, as approval for importing the vehicles is currently tied up with the Consumer Safety Product Commission.
K-man Shocks and Super Villain
The final announcement of the conference was the partnership with Chinese suspension company K-man, which will put the company’s top-notch shocks on the upcoming Super Villain side-by-side and 72-inch version Villain SX10 WP. The U.S. team even had a chance to tour the K-man factory, which demonstrated quality inspection and testing procedures.
Speaking of the Super Villain hybrid, given that it debuted at the 2023 EICMA show, you might be wondering if Segway revealed when it will become available. Alas, you’ll have to keep waiting, as Segway is still refining the product, though the company is hoping to release it next year.
Segway gave us a sneak peek of the Super Villain’s performance by making it available to demo during the conference. Unfortunately, by the time I got around to test driving it, the vehicles had already been put through their paces by dozens of other testers, so the rear-wheel drive on the one I rode was broken, causing me to fishtail more than I had in the Villain. When driving over the whoops on the test track, the suspension felt like an incredible improvement over the Villain; however, the shocks weren’t tuned properly and were too stiff for that particular track. It also ran noticeably hotter than the Villain. So, while it’s obvious some more testing and refining needs to take place before the Super Villain comes to the market, given the company’s emphasis on quality and customer satisfaction, you can rest assured that the Segway team will work out all the kinks before making a formal launch announcement.
Overall, it’s clear that Segway Powersports is indeed living up to its conference theme of “Embrace Evolution.” With the company’s finger on the pulse of new technology combined with eye-catching style, the brand has catapulted itself into the fast lane of growth and only looks to be climbing higher in the days ahead.
