GM North America President Mark Reuss last week called Detroit a "perfect" spot to test the EN-V, which stands for Electric Networked Vehicle – the automaker's solution to traffic nightmares in metropolitan areas.
This statement comes as a bit of a surprise since the Motor City has been on the decline for years, with residents leaving for greener pastures at an alarming rate.
Reuss acknowledged that GM's hometown has the opposite problem of dense cities like Beijing, but he said the timing is right to implement the infrastructure for the EN-V.
Detroit is currently studying a light-rail line and a possible high-speed rail connection. Should these projects become real, the EN-V could make its appearance in Michigan's largest urban centre.
Sadly, though, Reuss made it clear that GM has no firm plans to test the vehicle there. ''It would take unprecedented effort with unheard-of levels of cooperation between business and government", he explained.
Unveiled at the 2010 Shanghai Auto Show, the EN-V is a fully-electric, two-wheel, two-seat enclosed vehicle based on the Segway scooter. It reaches speeds of 25 mph (40 km/h) and communicates wirelessly with other EN-Vs to avoid crashes.