By the close of the first decade of the 21st Century the days of printed newsletters being mailed out to subscribers were coming to an end.

Further, the golden age of the printed magazine was also declining rapidly. Advertising-supported, broad- and and niche-market magazines probably reached their zenith circa 2008 in New Zealand, help by developments in printing technologies that drove costs down and enabled glossy 'zines for every imaginable subject to flourish, filling up shelves not just at supermarkets, service stations and convenience stores, but even supporting the growth of specialist magazine stores. Clever advertising and special offers encouraged the growth of subscriptions delivered to the door.

From about 2004 onwards Segway NZ began regularly advertising in, and occasionally received editorial coverage in, a number of sector-specific magazines such as NZ Security, NZ Golf, OT Insight (Occupational Therapy) as we built our brand and product awareness. We'd also advertise in a variety of other print media from time to time.

But with the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) striking in 2008, the print media advertising dollar at first shrank then rapidly shifted away to digital arenas. The writing was on the wall for many, many magazines in New Zealand (and indeed around the world). The collapse of the Daily Mirror Group in UK brought down their tentacle in New Zealand that ran shows such as Big Boys Toys, resulting in the disappearance of our favourite show from the local scene before it was revived by new owners a couple of years later.

Whilst our Segway New Zealand Newsletter did not rely on advertising to support it, in 2008 we decided to shift to a digital-only approach to communicating with our existing and future customers. It would be fair to say that pretty much every potential Segway PT owner at that time was tech-savvy, had an email address and used a web browser on a regular basis.

Thus, our final printed Newsletter was published in February 2008. We reproduce both pages below.

By this time we'd already begun publishing our latest information in a NEWS column on an older website, then after updating the website to a new platform we shifted the NEWS portion to the Segway NZ News blog you're reading right now (hosted online by Wordpress). This digital platform enabled us to reach a vastly larger audience (including thousands of international readers), and to publish (and link to) a much larger number and wider variety of articles - all in a more timely manner.

Issue #4 featured a photo of Philip Bendall hanging out in Hong Kong with actor Jackie Chan. Jackie was an equal partner in JCAM, the Hong Kong based Distributor of Segway products across a number of SE Asian nations at that time, and they met on a number of occasions during Philip's visits to Hong Kong. Jackie had just purchased 10 of only 40 genuine Ferrari-branded Segway PTs, and Segway NZ had purchased two, leaving just 28 for these highly sought after collectors editions spread across the remainder of the world. Having dinner with Jackie and his family at their home in Kowloon remains one of Philip's favourite memories.

The Editorial section noted that by the end of 2007 there were about 200 Segway PTs in use around New Zealand. Segway Tours had been established in 7 locations: Auckland, Rotorua, Taupo, Wellington, Kaikoura, Christchurch and Queenstown.

By early-2008 there were 8 Universities using Segway PTs for security patrols, and at Canterbury also for mail delivery around campus.

North Shore City Council was the first to purchase a Segway PT (this council would later be amalgamated into the Auckland Council "supercity").

Our Newsletter also featured information on Segway, Inc.'s first co-development with General Motors. This initiative featured a version of a popular GM model car with room for two Segway PTs conveniently housed in the rear. The development grabbed headlines worldwide, and pointed to a possible future joint-venture. These modified Segway i2's had intriguingly designed folding LeanSteer Frames (that sadly never went into production). The car's hatch lowered to become a ramp for easy loading and unloading. While this concept never made it to market, the following year a further venture with GM would see the release of the PUMA concept vehicle: a self-balancing micro-vehicle with room for two passengers sitting side by side. The concept was refined further as the EN-V range for the World Fair in Shanghai the following year (and a 2nd generation prototype in 2012). There are some very rare photographs of the P.U.M.A. to be found here (taken by Philip Bendall at Segway-Ninebot HQ while visiting Beijing in 2019).

Also featured was a short article about The Pole Blacks adventure in USA to defend and try to win the Woz Cup at the 2nd International Segway Polo Challenge. Alas, we were beaten on the day by the Aftershocks.

Our final Newsletter finished with a brief summary of the White Paper entitled "The Role of the Segway Personal Transporter (PT) in Emissions Reduction and Energy Efficiency". The paper was released in late-2007 and opens with the following paragraph:

In December 2001, renowned inventor Dean Kamen unveiled the Segway® Personal Transporter (PT). Since then the way society looks at transpor- tation has changed considerably. Fuel prices have risen, there is a greater awareness of the damage caused by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental and political forces have de-stabilized the global petroleum supply.

This paragraph is even more true today than it was then. The paper concluded the Segway PT is 4.5 times more energy efficient than a Toyota Prius and 17 times more efficient than a large SUV/4WD. The following excerpt illustrates the massive reduction in greenhouse gases produced per mile (up to 95% reduction):

Emissions Output Summary

Operating a Segway PT creates:

• 5.6 times less greenhouse gas per mile than a Toyota Prius (82% reduction)
• 14 times less greenhouse gas than the average American car (93% reduction)
• 20 times less greenhouse gas than a large Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) (95% reduction)

Energy Consumption Summary

The Segway PT is:

• 11 times more energy efficient than the average American car

• 4.5 times more energy efficient than a Toyota Prius

• 17 times more energy efficient than a large SUV

Note: All computations based on one passenger per vehicle

But this summary was based on United States energy data, where coal was producing 50% of electricity. As detailed in our recent article (updating our 2014 article on the same topic), here in New Zealand 87% of electricity is generated by renewable resources. And because almost 100% of power generated between 11pm and dawn is from renewables, the efficiency of a Segway PT charged overnight here in New Zealand is much higher than outlined in the White Paper based on the American circumstance.

Here is a comparative chart of electricity production for USA in 2007 and NZ in 2013:

The full White Paper is well worth reading:

In recent years micro-mobility has become a viable and valuable "last mile" transportation solution for many people. Segway-Ninebot is firmly established as the world leader, producing a variety of personal transportation solutions (PTs, mini-PTs, KickScooters, Mopeds, and more). While this 2007 White Paper envisaged the PT would become the device that would be found in a significant proportion of garages, hallways or cupboards, in 2023 it is the electric KickScooter that has taken this position.

It will be interesting to revisit the situation in another 15 years to see what micro-mobility landscape looks like. Here are Segway NZ we still predict that self-balancing devices will replace a large proportion of KickScooter (especially as the kids who played with hoverboards during the past few years consider adult micro-mobility options). We love the KickScooter - we imported and sold more than 6,000 units between 2017 and 2020 - but we love the Segway PT and other self-balancing devices even more. In particular, we like how the PT is much more comfortable to ride (especially over rough surfaces), can tackle just about any kind of terrain (concrete, grass, dirt trails, firm sand, snow), has a smaller footprint than a KickScooter so is more convenient to ride and is safer in tight pedestrian environments, turns on the spot with a zero-turning circle, and stays upright at zero speed enabling conversations, interactions and tasks to be done without dismounting.

There has never been a better time to buy and utilise a Segway PT. While the Segway PT was designed from the ground up to use the existing infrastructure common in 2000 (roads, footpaths, trails), over the past 20 years there has been a massive increase in additional infrastructure across New Zealand that makes Segway PTs an even better way to travel - bike lanes, shared pathways, shared spaces, and low-speed urban zones.

In addition to brand new Segway PTs, we also have a great range of pre-owned, fully refurbished Segway PTs available across a wide range of price points. Call use today on 0800 SEGWAY to enquire.