Bolt EV launched at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show - Gadjo C Sevilla
GM's Chevy Bolt EV is the first mass produced electric vehicle priced under $40,000 and it is also one of the first to feature autonomous driving functionality. Chevy's been testing the self-driving Chevrolet Bolt EVs on public roads in Michigan and will build the next-generation autonomous Bolt EV at its Orion Assembly Plant.
According to the Detroit News, "Chairman and CEO Mary Barra made the announcement during a rare news conference Thursday afternoon at the automaker’s Renaissance Center headquarters in Detroit, calling the state one of the “primary areas” for the automaker to test autonomous vehicles." Test drives are expected to reach the metro Detroit area within the "next few months."
“We will now expand AV (autonomous vehicle) activities on public roads on the outskirts of our Warren campus,” she said. “And within the next several months, we will expand testing to Metro Detroit.”
This comes out just as Uber started their self-driving trials in San Francisco, a move that was quickly shut down by state regulators after traffic infractions. GM has investments in Uber as well as it's competitor Lyft and is definitely at the forefront of both EV as well as autonomous vehicles.