GM & Lyft to deploy 'thousands' of self-driving Bolts in 2018 - report

Posted:
in General Discussion edited February 2017
Forging ahead of other self-driving tech makers like Apple and Waymo, General Motors is reportedly planning to test "thousands" of self-driving Chevy Bolts in partnership with Lyft, starting in 2018.




The test will be the biggest of any major automaker so far, Reuters said on Friday, citing a pair of sources. By comparison, Alphabet's Waymo has about 60 self-driving prototypes on U.S. roads.

Lyft won't be the sole operator of the modified Bolts, but it will use the majority of them, one source said. The person added that at the moment, GM has no plans to sell self-driving Bolts to the public.

"We do not provide specific details on potential future products or technology rollout plans," GM itself commented in an official statement. "We have said that our AV technology will appear in an on-demand ride sharing network application sooner than you might think."

In early 2016, the automaker paid $500 million for a minority stake in Lyft. The company also launched a car-sharing business known as Maven, from which Lyft has received some of its vehicles.

Presently, GM is testing some 40 self-driving Bolts -- known as Bolt AVs -- in San Francisco, Calif. and Scottsdale, Ariz., with plans to come to Detroit.

Lyft's main rival in the ride-sharing business, Uber, has been testing self-driving cars in real-world operations since last summer, but not on the scale of the rumored GM/Lyft project.

Apple's own self-driving efforts, known as "Project Titan," are still shrouded in mystery. The company hasn't put any prototypes on public roads, and is thought to be holding off until later this year to make a decision about designing a car or partnering with a separate automaker.

Work is instead said to be concentrating on an underlying platform, with testing using technologies like VR and augmented reality.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    512ke512ke Posts: 782member
    Interesting. It brings up a curious question. Will our new President shut down this move because it results in fewer jobs for previously employed Lyft drivers? Or will he accept the same kind of tehnological change that is already replacing factory workers with robots? 
  • Reply 2 of 16
    512ke said:
    Interesting. It brings up a curious question. Will our new President shut down this move because it results in fewer jobs for previously employed Lyft drivers? Or will he accept the same kind of tehnological change that is already replacing factory workers with robots? 
    I've seen no evidence that Trump is opposed to technological advances. His main concerns are America first and jobs, right? New jobs will spring up around new technologies.
    edited February 2017 mwhitepatchythepirate
  • Reply 3 of 16
    Still do not get self driving cars.
  • Reply 4 of 16
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    Templeton said:
    Still do not get self driving cars.
    Cars that drive themselves. What more is there to get?
    StrangeDaysblastdoortyler82
  • Reply 5 of 16
    Templeton said:
    Still do not get self driving cars.
    Having been a passenger in three separate car accidents over the years where people simply were not paying attention or ignored weather conditions, I am very much in favor of removing the task from lousy drivers. Self-driving or driver-assist systems will prevent millions of collisions every year.
    edited February 2017 patchythepiratetyler82
  • Reply 6 of 16
    bellsbells Posts: 140member
    512ke said:
    Interesting. It brings up a curious question. Will our new President shut down this move because it results in fewer jobs for previously employed Lyft drivers? Or will he accept the same kind of tehnological change that is already replacing factory workers with robots? 
    I've seen no evidence that Trump is opposed to technological advances. His main concerns are America first and jobs, right? New jobs will spring up around new technologies.

    Embracing dying forms of energy like coal, which he and his buddies are heavily invested in, seems to be evidence that he'll support whatever makes him wealthier. China meanwhile is embracing alternative energy and expecting to create millions of jobs in the process.

    Some Republicans in places like Wyoming are trying to pass legislation that outlaws utilities from using power produced from wind or solar. So much for free markets. He also wants the head of EPA to be a guy who is bought and paid for by big oil and coal. Again supporting his own investments.

    The position he takes will be aligned with where he and his family are invested.
    MacProbb-15Rayz2016palomine
  • Reply 7 of 16
    I bet that Apple's system will blow everything else away.
    It will be deeply integrated in the various parts of the car and it will use iBeacons and Coherent Navigation GPS in addition to LIDAR, Cameras, 3D recognition, Augmented reality etc...

    I hope Apple does not manufacture it's own cars but license it's platform to automakers like QNX.



  • Reply 8 of 16
    Templeton said:
    Still do not get self driving cars.
    I am very much in favor of removing the task from lousy drivers. Self-driving or driver-assist systems will prevent millions of collisions every year.
    Ironic (and unsurprising) if the worst drivers will be the last to go self-driving...
    watto_cobraRayz2016
  • Reply 9 of 16
    Here's a snarky question:  Are people who aren't smart enough to drive a car safely, capable of doing any job?

    If the folks who voted for Trump did so because they feel entitled to better jobs and pay, they are looking for an easy way out.  They should shut off The Apprentice, switch off that Alex Jones YouTube channel and do what much less privileged people are doing in India and elsewhere.  Learn math.  Learn physics.  Learn chemistry.  Learn to code.  Learn to do something that has value in the 21st century, instead of asking big daddy to bring back the 20th century.  Human technological and social evolution will continue.  As an individual, you're either adapting or being a loser.
    watto_cobrabadmonk
  • Reply 10 of 16
    512ke512ke Posts: 782member
    Very interesting comments. I apologize if my lead comment kind of diverted discussion away from the subject at hand, self driving cars. 
  • Reply 11 of 16
    Templeton said:
    Still do not get self driving cars.
    I am very much in favor of removing the task from lousy drivers. Self-driving or driver-assist systems will prevent millions of collisions every year.
    Ironic (and unsurprising) if the worst drivers will be the last to go self-driving...
    I personally believe insurance rates will drive adoption once it's proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that set-driving vehicles help to drastically reduce collisions and accidents.
    beowulfschmidt
  • Reply 12 of 16
    YvLyYvLy Posts: 89member
    I think this whole "... more AI, more technology, less human input" will produce generations of humans with severe intellectual disability.
  • Reply 13 of 16
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    kamilton said:
    Here's a snarky question:  Are people who aren't smart enough to drive a car safely, capable of doing any job?

    If the folks who voted for Trump did so because they feel entitled to better jobs and pay, they are looking for an easy way out.  They should shut off The Apprentice, switch off that Alex Jones YouTube channel and do what much less privileged people are doing in India and elsewhere.  Learn math.  Learn physics.  Learn chemistry.  Learn to code.  Learn to do something that has value in the 21st century, instead of asking big daddy to bring back the 20th century.  Human technological and social evolution will continue.  As an individual, you're either adapting or being a loser.
    I couldn't agree more. It's called evolution. Adapt and survive.  
    badmonk
  • Reply 14 of 16
    Templeton said:
    Still do not get self driving cars.
    I am very much in favor of removing the task from lousy drivers. Self-driving or driver-assist systems will prevent millions of collisions every year.
    Ironic (and unsurprising) if the worst drivers will be the last to go self-driving...
    I personally believe insurance rates will drive adoption once it's proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that set-driving vehicles help to drastically reduce collisions and accidents.
    Similarly, I suspect the bar will be raised significantly for getting a driver's license, to the point that very few people will bother. 
  • Reply 15 of 16
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,727member
    "Forging ahead of other self-driving tech makers like Apple and ....".

      OK, my bad.  I missed the news report confirming Apple was a "self-driving tech maker".  
  • Reply 16 of 16
    sreesree Posts: 152member
    kamilton said:
    Here's a snarky question:  Are people who aren't smart enough to drive a car safely, capable of doing any job?

    If the folks who voted for Trump did so because they feel entitled to better jobs and pay, they are looking for an easy way out.  They should shut off The Apprentice, switch off that Alex Jones YouTube channel and do what much less privileged people are doing in India and elsewhere.  Learn math.  Learn physics.  Learn chemistry.  Learn to code.  Learn to do something that has value in the 21st century, instead of asking big daddy to bring back the 20th century.  Human technological and social evolution will continue.  As an individual, you're either adapting or being a loser.

    I am from India, but I can't agree with your thinking here.

    The fact of the matter is, a large part of 'America' was ignored by past administrations and their concerns given lip service. They have hit back through the democratic route. I think there is a genuine need for everyone to introspect and possibly do some amount of course correction. That someone as extreme as trump was required to get their point across, is a reflection of how much the voice of a major section of americans was ignored. 

    Criticizing the people and making fun of them is not appropriate. They have an opinion just like you, and they have a viewpoint too, and it is as important to listen to them as it is to listen to yours. 
Sign In or Register to comment.