GM wants to get a jump on the autonomous car market and revealed its growing fleet of driverless, battery-powered Chevrolet Bolts in San Francisco to industry analysts who say that the self-driving program is key to long-term growth.
Journalists rode in the self-driving Bolts, traversing the hilly, narrow and congested streets of the city’s Dogpatch neighborhood — stopping for pedestrians, slowing to pass double-parked vehicles, navigating gently away from bicycles – without a hitch. The vehicle’s onboard computer said it encountered 265 people, 49 bicycles and 489 cars.
“We are working fast and furiously,” said Doug Parks, an engineer who has worked for G.M. for 33 years. “It is super exciting, and I love what the company is becoming.”
A blend of financial resources, automotive experience and management determination allow GM to compete with other automakers and big tech companies. It also has a history of failures to triumph over — none bigger than its collapse into bankruptcy in 2009.
Read more of the original article at The New York Times.