It’s a rush to autonomy in the industry. While automakers and tech giants parade around the idea of a self-driving car, no one has arrived first, yet. General Motors and Lyft want to be put on the map, according to The Detroit Free Press.
Lyft has stated the company and GM have plans to begin testing autonomous vehicles, with hopes to begin within one year.
“At first we’re talking about a very small number of vehicles,” said Taggart Matthiesen, Lyft director of product. “You’d start with a handful and slowly increase the supply as you gain confidence. Safety is paramount.”
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV will be one contender for the technology, with Matthiesen acknowledging the Bolt EV’s strengths with this kind of program.
“Similarly, we have said the Chevrolet Bolt EV is the ideal platform for ride-sharing solutions. We believe electrification blends perfectly with autonomy when it comes to technology integration.”
The city and state of the testing location has yet to be determined, and it could prove difficult to find an area where regulations will allow for autonomous vehicle testing, i.e. somewhere where a driver does not have to be present behind the wheel … or lack of wheel.
GM is looking to incorporate some of the technology from its San Francisco based Cruise Automation acquisition, which is set to close in June if legal red tape does not extend the process.
General Motors declined to comment on the autonomous vehicle program’s timeline, but stated it is actively pursuing an “on-demand autonomous network” of vehicles.
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