GM Apparently to Deploy Thousands of Self-Driving Bolts Next Year
When it comes to new car technology, the hottest new thing changes all the time. For a while, the cool new technology was sensors and cameras all over to give warnings and to gently keep drivers from drifting or smashing headlong into someone because they were distracted by something. Then, it briefly was cool to have a longer-range electric vehicle or plug-in hybrids in the works.
Now, all the cool kids are getting into self-driving cars.
General Motors prides itself on being a top contender in the ring of cool kids, and so has for a while been working on self-driving Bolt EVs with Cruise Automation and Lyft—it even released a couple videos showing the cars driving, without being handled by humans, around the streets of San Francisco.
Now, though, GM has decided to double down on its self-driving Bolt fleet, as according to Reuters and its “two sources familiar with the automaker’s plans,” the General plans to deploy thousands of self-driving electric cars to Lyft’s test fleets, starting next year. That would make it the largest test by any automaker, although several other companies have already promised to do the same by 2020.
Apparently, these special Bolts would be used in ride-sharing Lyft fleets in several states—this is in keeping with statements made by GM executives that have said the company intends to mass-produce self-driving cars and put them in ride-share fleets.
Officially, of course, GM has refused to comment, beyond saying that they don’t comment on future products and reiterating the comments that the execs had given—apparently this was the reason that Reuters’ anonymous sources were anonymous.
News Source: Reuters
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