The Chevy Bolt will become GM’s first ever autonomous car that will soon be tested in public streets.
GM announced recently that it already is testing autonomous technology at its campus in Warren, Michigan, and will soon build a Bolt that will be tested on the outskirts of the campus.
The Bolt EV will be equipped with fully automated technology. The vehicle will have LIDAR, cameras, sensors and other equipment that will be used for self driving and to ensure safety. Production on the new Bolt will begin at GM’s Orion Township plant in 2017.
“Revolutionizing transportation for our customers while improving safety on roads is the goal of our autonomous vehicle technology, and today’s announcement gets us one step closer to making this vision a reality,” said General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “Our autonomous technology will be reliable and safe, as customers have come to expect from any of our vehicles.”
Already, GM is testing its autonomous technology on public roads in San Francisco and Scottsdale, Arizona in addition to the campus in Michigan. So far, GM has about 40 autonomous vehicles testing within the two cities. GM will continue its testing and enhancement of autonomous driving technology with the Bolt.
The Bolt announcement is another step in GM’s decision to explore autonomous driving technologies.
Earlier this year, GM announced that it made a $500 million investment in Lyft, a ride-sharing company, to develop a network of on-demand autonomous vehicles in the United States.
Check out this related TFLcar video of the Bolt’s cousin, the Chevrolet Volt:
