GM and Lyft to launch autonomous Chevy Bolts in the next year

[Geo]

The fruits of the partnership between General Motors and ride-sharing service Lyft are going to hit the streets within one year, when the pair launch the first autonomous Chevrolet Bolt taxis. The self-driving cars will rely on technology from GM's latest autonomous tech acquisition, San Francisco-based Cruise Automation.

According to The Wall Street Journal, specific details of the program are still up in the air – there's no telling how many Bolts will be a part of the program, and the partnership hasn't even selected a city in which to test the autonomous vehicles. Both of those are big questions that need answered, and soon. What is clear is that Lyft users will have the ability to opt in or out of the autonomous taxi program.

This move represents the latest push by GM to make its way into the autonomous vehicle space. It purchased Cruise Automation in March of 2016, but before that, the company made a half-a-billion-dollar investment in Lyft and introduced its own car-sharing company, Maven. So yes, we're barely five months into 2016, and GM has already purchased a company, made a huge investment in another, and created a third. Anyone doubting the company's autonomous ambitions should probably stop now.

http://www.autoblog.com/2016/05/05/gm-lyft-autonomous-chevy-bolt-next-year/

 

[marta]

Geo you beat me to it! I just noticed this story in my newsfeed, and then when I came to the Bolt forum to share it, you'd already posted it

In the article I saw on the Detroit News, there's still problems to overcome - things that simply an app can't solve, which is why it's important for Lyft to team up with an automaker.

Chevrolet will have to figure out how the Bolt will know if everyone is in the vehicle and that it can start driving.

...the company is working on how the car will communicate with occupants to ensure everyone is in the vehicle, that it’s the right vehicle and that the destination is correct. “These are things that we’re going to have to think about in terms of solving that aren’t going to be solved by just an app,” he said. “And that’s where the partnership with GM, as we go through this, it’s not just about the user experiences on the app, but in the car as well.”