Segway New Zealand / Personal Transport Limited wishes all our readers and followers best wishes for 2024.

The last day of 2023 is an appropriate time to hint at several new products we'll be introducing to New Zealand in early-2024, and also to recap our 20 years in business to date. For two decades we've pioneered the introduction of the latest Segway products into New Zealand. Often, we've been able to move quickly and see to it that New Zealanders were the very first country after America or China to be able to buy the latest Segway product. Let's take a look back.

In 2003 we imported and launched the first Segway Personal Transporters (PTs), or "Segway Human Transporters (HTs)" as they were originally known up until 2006. Initially, we offered the HT i167 that had been launched in the US just a few months earlier. In 2004 came the smaller p133 and then the i170. A trio of colourful i180s arrived the following year, plus a variant configured for security patrolling. The off-road Segway XT and the Segway GT configured for the golf course opened up entire new markets, and range-doubling Lithium batteries began to replace NiMH across the range. We promoted the Segway brand nationwide by partnering with companies such as AA, Vodafone, Mitre 10, Genesis Energy and V Energy Drinks in high-profile campaigns. We appeared on many TV programs including prime-time, breakfast and variety shows.

But it was the near-magical e167 that captured the essence of the Segway phenomena in those early years. This was the cargo carrying version that had the unique e-stand feature: it continued to self-balance on the spot even once the rider had disembarked - a sight to behold that was equally eerie and futuristic. Meanwhile, the Segway Centaur - an electric quad bike that could stand up on its rear wheels, self-balance, and turn-on-the-spot in tight locations - remained a prototype only.

For 2007 we launched the new Segway 'Gen 2' range into New Zealand: the Segway i2 and the Segway x2 that came with either ATV or Turf wheels. There was also the x2 Golf variant for the golf course, and packages of accessories configured for Commuters, Adventures and Cargo. The following year saw the launch of Patroller versions of the i2 and x2. Media opportunities to promote the Segway brand across TV and print media continued with nationwide promotions in conjunction with Spark (formerly Telecom), Wyndham Group and many others.

In 2013 we delivered the improved Segway SE range, updated in 2020 as the SE-X range. Following last year's 20th Anniversary Editions, in 2024 we'll be introducing special SE-X/NZ configurations unique to the New Zealand market to celebrate selling more Segway PTs per capita than any country in the world, except USA and Germany. Not bad, huh?

We launched Segway-Ninebot products into New Zealand in 2016, beginning with the Ninebot by Segway miniPRO. The Segway miniPLUS and miniLITE followed (later revised as the S Pro, S Plus and S Kids ranges). Segway Drift W1 e-skates arrived in 2018. We also sold a small number of Ninebot Gokarts, and Ninebot ONE and Z10 electric unicycles during this period. In 2019 we sold a few Segway Robotics Loomo robots (we also the supported Segway RMP Robotic Mobility Platforms used at several universities).

We kick-started the e-scooter revolution across New Zealand when we launched the Ninebot ES2 and ES4 KickScooters in 2017, later followed by the Ninebot Max. We sold some 7,000 KickScooters through until 2020. Our participation in a spectacularly successful promotion with Spark at the end of 2019 resulted in 2,500 ES2's being given away with Samsung mobile phones, and earned us the Segway-Ninebot APAC Sales Innovation Award.

We were the first country to launch the Segway electric Dirt Bike outside of USA, beginning with the X160 in 2020. The popular X260 followed in 2021, and we've continue selling the Sur Ron Light Bee X version since 2022.

We still support every model of every Segway product we've ever imported (look out for a future post with a Chart that details up-to-date availability of parts and service options for every individual product). Our workshop features sophisticated specialist tools for the testing and repair of Segway PTs and Segway-Ninebot products, including third-party devices for analysing and reviving Segway Lithium battery packs. We've also developed several of our own special tools, and shared these designs with other Segway PT Dealers around the world.

Cheap and nasty copycat self-balancing platforms began to appear in New Zealand during the early 2010's. Invariably, these were non-redundant, poorly designed machines constructed from low-quality components. Private buyers ended up injured by these dangerous devices, and were left with non-functional junk. We were not surprised when every business that tried to use these machines for tour fleets went broke within a year or so. Meanwhile, Segway Tour operators around New Zealand are still getting reliable value for money from even their oldest machines in their fleets (some currently aged up to 15 years) - a great demonstration of the phrase "Quality lasts" if ever there was.

Many grey market importers of Ninebot products were actively selling to Kiwi consumers between 2017 and 2019, supplying unsupported or poorly supported Ninebot products to unsuspecting Kiwis. In some instances the devices themselves were non-genuine, instead being lookalike pirate copies. Due to a strange series of events, between 2019 and 2022 there arose four competing, non-exclusive importers of Segway-Ninebot consumer products into New Zealand (including us), resulting in a fractured customer experience and varying levels of product after-sales support. Throughout this period our business remained the exclusive Distributor for Segway PTs (as it has been since 2003). A separate importer for Segway Powersports launched in 2021 to sell ATV and side-by-side vehicles for farming and off-road use.

From 2023 the local situation has been tidied up, and today there is one Distributor of Segway PTs (that's us), one Distributor of Segway-Ninebot consumer products (NCP Group) supplying retailers, and one Distributor of Segway Powersports products (SPNZ).

We've always looked for inventive accessories to add value and functionality to our product range. For example, for Segway PT owners we offered optional seats (SegSeat, SegSaddle) and tow-bar carriers (SegVator, TriLift), and co-developed knee-steer in place of handlebars for Film and TV camera operators. We've also offered Enhanced Traction Tyres and alternative wheel options for PTs. For Ninebot miniPRO and miniPLUS we offered optional handlebars to replace the knee-steer, and accessories for KickScooters.

From 2011 we worked closely with two pioneering New Zealand businesses who re-engineered Segway PTs into self-balancing wheelchairs to create awesome "go anywhere" power chairs. BodyElectric's MAX was first to market with a rugged design asthetic well-suited to the Great Kiwi Outdoors. Omeo Technology's sleek 'Omeo' brought innovative seat-steering for full hands-free riding freedom and unique under-the-hood integrations. Omeo has gone on to tremendous success and exports worldwide from their factory in Otaki.

We've also imported what might be called "Segway-adjacent" products including the first electric unicycle - Inventist's SoloWheel (that was soon to be much copied by numerous companies, including Ninebot which has led to epic and on-going court battles), and the Acton Rocket Skates (precursors of a sort to the Segway Drift e-skates).

We trailed an early, pre-release version of the Segway Navimow robot lawn mower during 2021 and 2022, and provided valuable feedback during the product development process. Because it uses triangulation between a garden-mounted transmitter and multiple GPS satellites the Segway Navimow is quick and easy to install (it does not need a boundary wire buried around the perimeter of the lawn).

First up for 2024 is the release of our new Segway PT SE-X/NZ configuration. Before the end of the first quarter we'll be introducing a brand new product for New Zealand customers, followed by another new product in the second quarter.

See you next year!