GM to Implement Fully Autonomous Vehicles – with No Steering Wheel – in 2019
by Morgan Cruz, Marketing Content Coordinator, MHI | @mhi_morgan
Imagine if the next time you request a ride on your phone, a driverless vehicle pulls up. Not only that, but the car has no steering wheel or pedals. You get in the car and the car door shuts by itself automatically. You turn up the heat because it’s cold outside and turn the radio station to something calm because you’ve had a long day. This is the future of transportation and it’s coming to us sooner than we thought.
General Motors just revealed it’s self-driving vehicles, scheduled to hit in 2019. Their rapid progress toward a car with no controls is due to the combination of Cruise technology, fit for urban environments, with GM’s ability to produce a large amount of cars quickly.
GM was able to remove the steering wheel and pedals of the car by integrating manufacturing, therefore putting safety at the forefront. The Business Insider Article, GM just revealed a fully autonomous electric car — and it doesn’t have a steering wheel, stated an excerpt from the GM’s safety report. “By integrating our self-driving system into the vehicle from the beginning, and through close coordination between the hardware and software teams, we have evaluated potential failure modes for all systems, and addressed them throughout development to ensure a safe and reliable product,” the report says.
GM is working to pass all state safety requirements to eliminate any legal restrictions come 2019. So if you can’t stand being behind the wheel, a safer and more sustainable ride is just around the corner. To learn more about advances in autonomous vehicle technology visit the MHI View video channel on driverless vehicles and drones.
