Chevrolet, owned by General Motors, have been a complete success with its Chevy Bolt EV that has been garnering praises from different personalities and media outlets. The Bolt EVs impressive 238mile range on a single charge capacity is a winner for the consumers, especially with a price tag of only $37, 495 dollars, which is a lot cheaper than its Tesla counterpart. The 2017 Chevy Bolt EV was General Motor's answer to the public demands of a cost-efficient green car.
General Motors Takes The Bolt EV Another Step Ahead
With the success of the now famous Chevy Bolt EV, it's no wonder that General Motors decided to use the same vehicle as its test unit for a fully autonomous vehicle. The Bolt EV's capacity to go far is a factor that every autonomous vehicle needs. Being driverless, the vehicle charge should be enough to reach the nearest charging station before it runs out of juice, especially with plans of having zilch human interaction for autonomous cars in the future.
The SAVE Act Will Help Define The Self-Driving Car Industry
General Motors announced the plan after Governor Rick Snyder signed the SAVE act, a set of rules and regulations aimed at promoting autonomous vehicle deployment. The Save Act allows car manufacturers to use their self-driving cars as a means of public transportation through ride-sharing or ride-hailing services. It will also allow autonomous cars to operate without a human operator sitting behind the steering wheel, and provisions on the sale of autonomous cars to consumers.
The Chevy Bolt EV Autonomous Car Will Start Testing In Public Roads
The Chevy Bolt EV autonomous car has begun testing in General Motor's Technical center campus in Warren, Michigan. General Motors said that with the release of the SAVE Act, they can finally start testing on public roads to get better real world results. Testing sites include Detroit, which is also known as Motor City. General Motors said that testing in the city would help them analyze data on how the self-driving car will act and drive during the winter season. A fleet of Chevy Bolt EV will also be built at the Orion Township assembly line, models of which will include electric cars and those with the equipment that is needed to run an autonomous vehicle.
The extensive suite of sensors will include cameras and lidars mounted on the roof to allow them to sense and see the environment. Aside from General Motor's Chevy Bolt EV, Ford Motors is also currently testing a number of Hybrid Fusion sedans. Waymo, the self-driving car from Google Inc., has partnered with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to supply 100 units of Chrysler Pacifica plugin Hybrid minivans that will be converted into self-driving vehicles.
Silicon May Not Hold Its Title For Long
Detroit, Michigan has been known as Motor City for decades, however, with the emergence of companies like Tesla, Silicon Valley is now claiming that they are America's center for automotive research. Fortunately, the SAVE Act can still give Michigan the opportunity to reclaim their title as being the best in automotive development and advancement. "For the past century, Detroit has been at the center of the automobile, as we look toward the next phase of mobility, it's clear that the Motor City will continue to play a pivotal role bringing together the best of what Detroit and Silicon Valley have to offer," said John Krafcik, CEO of Waymo.
