The American carmaker GM is aiming at offering customers self driving vehicles later in the 2020s.
American broadcaster CNBC reports that while autonomous vehicles for deliveries and ride-hailing services are currently undergoing rigorous testing, manufacturing them for retail customers hasn’t been a priority for automakers because the technology needed for the systems is “prohibitively expensive”, but that CEO Mary Barra has told investors, “Later in the decade, I believe, and there’s a lot to still unfold, but I believe we’ll have personal autonomous vehicles.”
The report says she did not specifically say GM would sell such vehicles directly to consumers. It could lease them or offer customers a subscription service like it did previously for Cadillac vehicles. A GM spokesman said the company has no further comment at this time.
CNBC adds that Barra’s comments come after GM showcased a personal autonomous vehicle concept car for its Cadillac brand in January. The vehicle was based on the Origin, an autonomous shuttle from its majority-owned subsidiary Cruise.
(Picture – Cruise GM)
