The excitement about the new Michigan set of bills that allows testing of the autonomous driving vehicles on the public roads and production, is still not subsiding. General Motors announced last week that AV testing will start in couple of months, making in that way Chevrolet Bolt the main model for both electric vehicle and self-driving technology.

GM plans to roll out autonomous Bolts to Lyft, the ride-hailing company it invested $500 million in last winter, within several years; officials declined last week to give a more specific time frame. CEO of GM Marry Barra said that the company have the opportunity and the responsibility to create a new model of personal transportation. “We’re ensuring that our autonomous vehicles can operate safely across a full range of road, weather and climate conditions”, she added.

All Detroit big three running the autonomous-driving race

GM will exceed sales to the regions of Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions this winter. GM definitely choose the perfect time. Even though the Tesla announced building a Model 3 with similar performances as the Bolt, it is more likely that they will not launch it before 2018. That will give the EV Bolt enough time to make the positions on the market. For sure, with its EPA-rated 238-mile range and a base price of $37,495, the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is a serious foray by General Motors into mass-market, long-range electric cars.

Autonomous-driving is tested by many others hi tech companies and automakers, including all Detroit players.

Ford is currently testing a fleet of autonomous Fusion Hybrid sedans, and has said it plans to launch a production self-driving car for ride-sharing services by 2021.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has a partnership with Waymo (the renamed Google self-driving car project) in which the carmaker will supply 100 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid plug-in hybrid minivans converted into prototype self-driving vehicles.