GM, Lyft to Test Self-Driving Ride-Sharing Service with Chevrolet Bolt EVs
CARS.COM — In the latest development in GM’s partnership with Lyft since the Detroit automaker invested a half-billion dollars in the nation’s second-largest ride-sharing service this year, the companies will collaborate on an on-demand fleet of self-driving Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles. According to The Detroit News, California Lyft customers within two years will be able to participate in an experimental program that allows them to hail an autonomous car.
Related: Volvo, Ford, Google, Uber and Lyft Form Self-Driving Car Coalition
A prototype of the eventual autonomous Bolt app would allow users to opt in or out of the pilot program when hailing a ride. Researchers reportedly are are working on how the vehicle will communicate with occupants to ensure all passengers are in the correct vehicle headed to the right destination. The first phase of testing on public roads likely would include the use of safety operators in the driver seat to respond to any unanticipated issues, The Detroit News reported.
A Lyft spokesman told The Detroit News that no timeline can be announced until rules and regulations for the operation of the autonomous taxis are in place in select test cities. GM will inherit a license to test driverless cars in California through its pending billion-dollar acquisition of Cruise Automation, a San Francisco-based autonomous tech developer.
Could the famed enclave for the rich and famous, Beverly Hills, be one of the test cities? As we recently reported, Beverly Hills is courting automakers and autonomous technology developers to create a fleet of self-driving cars to supplement to its existing public-transportation system. Proponents say the city is an ideal test case due to its tiny size — less than 6 square miles — and an affluent tax base that can finance the necessary infrastructure.
Get the full story from The Detroit News.
