Really they spawned a huge industry of balance-operated electric scooter...things... The branding was much more accurate than I think even they hoped as they were a segue to more cost effective solutions.
I think it's a pretty good cautionary tale for those looking to follow the Tesla model. Don't target the ultra-high end unless you have enough of a technological and legal moat to fend off the vastly simplified and cost effective competitors.
> The 'revolutionary' impact of the Segway might still come to pass.
The self balancing aspect was what segway bought to the table. There was nothing revolutionary about the battery and motor. They originally even used NIMH batteries.
It was lightweight high performance lithium batteries that pushed the electric alternative transport market.
It's happening right now, they simply make too much sense. Some places are even providing low interest loans to foster their adoption to reduce car traffic (Eg: Nelson, BC).
For places with good weather a decent part of the year, and safe-enough bike lanes (that's the main issue) this seems near-inevitable.
Australian here: ebikes are crazy popular in both Sydney and Melbourne. I'm a regular cyclist and I get overtaken about 10 times per trip by ebikes.
If I didn't have such as short commute, I would jump on it!
We have above-average bike lanes (in some suburbs, anyway), so that's not a major issue. A major concern seems to be security. My neighbor had a battery stolen from his ebike while he was getting beer.
It'll just be on conventionally-oriented two-wheeled electric mobility devices: scooters and ebikes.
I hope it happens!