June 23, 2016
With so many automotive innovations being made, GM has focused its research on a still new field in driving: self-driving cars. General Motors has had numerous of its employees working on an autonomous vehicle project that has been relocated to the Warren Tech Center. In order to keep up with research and active development, the major American automaker's representatives have said that the brand wants to hire even more employees to assist with development by the end of 2016. In addition to a much larger team, the Tech Center is also planning on getting the final preparations ready for their additional test track. This track was built specifically for the automaker to explore autonomous development options in order to provide customers with the desirable safety and performance results.
The team working with General Motors was assembled from a number of locations and segments within the company. These professionals are currently working within the engineering building of the brand's Tech Center, and the teams are focusing on extensive testing before releasing the results to the public. Testing procedures involve working the kinks out of the available fleet of Chevrolet Volt self-driving vehicles in both closed and open track conditions. In order to add a candid touch to the vehicles, GM is planning on allowing employees to hail these autonomous vehicles through a specialized app. The employees can then enjoy the experience of a self-driving vehicle as a passenger on the active worksite.
Because of this mix of different driving conditions and road surfaces, GM expects that employees will be able to develop self-driving vehicle technology quickly and efficiently. The company is especially excited to have the opportunity to experiment with a ride-sharing service based on the aforementioned app. This could provider passengers with a safer and more enjoyable way to get to where they need. Representatives have said that the aim is to work out the kinks with a relatively small fleet at first. The automaker cannot go from no self-driving functions to a completely autonomous vehicle quickly, and that a careful strategy is necessary to work out the kinks and provide consumers with a satisfying and secure experience.
GM executives have explained that the company is planning on carefully improving prototype success with readily available technology in order to have access to more powerful elements in the future. The self-driving car system will grow with the technology available. Though preparing for the necessary research, General Motors is not the first automaker to begin experimenting with self-driving vehicles. Both Fiat and Ford have also been deeply involved in the field, and fans are excited to see how the research will progress over the coming years.