Posted on 01/12/2018 4:36:18 PM PST by equaviator
Today, GM unveiled the first image of its upcoming autonomous fourth-generation Bolt EV-based vehicle – the “first without a steering wheel or pedal.”
The automaker also says that it filed a petition asking the DOT permission to deploy the vehicle as soon as next year.
The move represents an accelerated self-driving timeline for the company, which could potentially leapfrog most other companies working on the technology since the most common timeline is a commercial launch in 2020-2022.
The vehicle would represent the next generation of Cruise AV autonomous car based on the Bolt EV.
In June, GM announced the completion of the first batch of 130 Chevy Bolt EV autonomous prototypes at its Orion Assembly Plant located in Orion Township, Michigan...They are already using part of their fleet to carry Cruise employees “anywhere in San Francisco using their app” – an early version of the service they plan to offer to the public someday.
Although GM claims to be the 1st without a steering wheel or pedal, Google has demonstrated pedal-less, steeringwheel-less autonomous vehicles first as part of its Google X labs in 2014 and now part of its Waymo spinoff. Google has since added back steering wheels to its own vehicles and *steered* the organization to more as add-ons to existing vehicles, especially Lexus crossovers and Chrysler Pacifica Hybrids.
A few months later, they claimed to be ready to “mass produce” self-driving Chevy Bolt EVs and they announced an expansion of the test fleet to New York...In order to plead their case for the safety of their vehicle and submit their petition for the permission to deploy the vehicle, GM released a new “2018 Self-Driving Safety Report”.
The report explains the various passive and active safety features of the vehicle as well as all the redundant hardware.
I was born with steering wheels, an I was raised with steering wheels, and dad gum it, I am gonna die with steering wheels, and no sidewindin’ bushwackin’, hornswagglin’ cracker croaker is gonna roll my biscuit cutter.
No thanks.
I like the idea of an autonomous vehicle, but it has to allow me to shut off the autonomy and take control.
For those who want more information rather than the usual FReeper snarky comments about new technology:
http://www.gm.com/content/dam/gm/en_us/english/selfdriving/gmsafetyreport.pdf
Hah! Then it's not a drone. It's a manned octocopter.
Just looked at their website. At 200 Large, it's still not down in my price range ... but if you can afford a Tesla, you can afford this beast. That's major progress.
What then at 80 mph? This is absurd.
Of course it’s absurd, this vehicle will go no faster
than the posted speed limits.
She won't win any beauty contest, but as my auto gnome noted, they took a compact high center of gravity almost small CUV shape, and with the batteries below the floor and a low CG vehicle with great distribution that handles well. I am still on the fence w/ the self driving thing. Electric is it's enabler. That has to be fungible without destroying the supplier base and reduce charging times to less than 10 minutes. That is coming too.
BTW, I think this whole Electric Car tipping point event will happen within PDJT's 2 terms. Not investment advice, however I can only imagine what it could do to the markets, very much like the tech boom under Clinton...
Years ago (60s) I saw a movie where someone put a mirror in the road at night to make the ‘bad guys’ drive off the road.
Imagaine what pranksters can do to these ...
Time for Trump to pull the plug on extra money going to GM and all the other liberal run companies just for our safety.
This idea has more holes in it than it does body metal.
Take a bus. I will drive my own vehicle.
What happens when you want it to drive you up an unmaped dirt road that runs along the corn field?
How do you tell it to take the Drive Thru? Stop at exactly the right place for the drive thru window? How about drive across the yard to the back of the house?
There is a bad guy after me- Even if he bumps me then don’t stop- Go faster.
Enter the Garage but then swing to the right of the door?
Line up with an automobile lift(left, right, and forward)?
Just think of all the situations where this ends badly.
At some point in the future self-driving cars will be the norm and, overall, will be safer. But I don’t want one now-just too many things that can go wrong.
How about parking? Drive through a lot looking for a parking spot.
I could see trying a self driving vehicle, but not one without a steering wheel and manual overrides
I can see the fall’s ads now....
Get your ‘18 models now. You know the ‘19s will be worse.
Your bias controls your brain.
Most accidents are caused by humans!
Silly post.
No steering wheel, no pedals, no conventional dash cluster, no US-sized form factor, no sale.
Cool, a DUI proof car. Just sit in the passenger seat and say you were not the driver. Just a passenger
It’s a stupid idea, and it will kill people.
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