4 ms·

GM and Cruise announce first mass-production self-driving car

39 points by kbyatnal 9y ago

bkeroack 9y ago
"when the software is ready" - every failed project ever.
TYPE_FASTER 9y ago
> "when the software’s ready" Ummmmmm... So, what I really got out of the article, is GM and Cruise are now where Tesla has been for a little while, in that 1. They can install sensors on the assembly line that they think will enable level 5 autonomy and 2. They have a way to remotely update autonomy software on the cars.
- 0xbear 9y ago
  Fine print: software will be ready in 2050.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- sjbase 9y ago
  The key statement being "sensors [...] that they think will enable level 5 autonomy." One or both of GM and Tesla could easily be wrong about that. But you're completely right... it's like saying my Macbook is the world's first strong/general AI, once the software's ready.
joshdance 9y ago
What is the definition of mass-production?
- rglover 9y ago
  "Lots"
ljoshua 9y ago
One of the more interesting parts to me: > "...but [Vogt] added that these are destined for deployment in fleets, rather than as individually owned consumer vehicles." I think this really clarifies the direction that GM (and I believe other auto manufacturers) see as the way forward: moving from an individual-ownership model to an on-demand rent model.
- sulam 9y ago
  Strategically this gets really obvious when you look at the financial model. A rapidly depreciating asset that has utilization of <10% is kind of insane, but Americans have managed to pull it off. Many families even have 2 of them! You need wide open spaces, no public transit, and cheap power for them to even be financially feasible/desirable, and the automotive industry has had to work really hard to kill public transit, the country has had to go to war several times for cheap power, and as people migrate from rural to urban settings the wide open spaces have been replaced with commutes from hell. Cars are probably going the way of planes in the future -- hobbyists will operate them, wealthy people will have luxury models, and most people will just buy time in one. Self-driving technology is the nail in the coffin but it's probably happening without that.
  - bkeroack 9y ago
    Insane for whom? Regardless of rate of depreciation it's still an asset. The relentless drive to push everything to rental transfers value from individuals (as equity) to industry/corporations in the form of operating profit. There's a reason why much of the economy is moving this way and it isn't beneficial to the vast majority of us.
- tachyonbeam 9y ago
  Cars intended for fleets might also mean they can afford to put expensive LIDARs on them. Fleets can afford to pay 100K+ per car whereas most individuals can't.
dpflan 9y ago
Let me see: the regulatory environment is in flux and not quite ready for autonomous vehicles; GM can claim an early lead for being to mass produce these vehicles - so who are the first customers - ride sharing companies and cities - and when is the first shipment / big contract expected? (I haven't done more research yet!; so I'm curious what other HNers know or think.)
- JumpCrisscross 9y ago
  Almost certainly not (American) cities. With Uber de-fanged, I'm not sure which competitor has the capital and sense of urgency to go to battle for self-driving cars. My guess is a foreign city-state, e.g. Singapore or Luxembourg.
  - dpflan 9y ago
    Interesting. Do you know of any previous publicly expressed interest by either (or any!) of those cities?
  - blackguardx 9y ago
    One minor point: Luxembourg the country has a city called Luxembourg inside it. Luxembourg the country isn't a city state, though. It has other cities/towns/villages.
gervase 9y ago
This was discussed here [0] in more detail (and from the original source) earlier today. [0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15220760 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15220760
rglover 9y ago
Things to not put your body into.
legohead 9y ago
I'd go buy a Bolt right now if it had the autopilot a Tesla has. They are readily available, relatively inexpensive, and can travel nearly 300 miles on a charge. Try and find a Model3 right now!
- imglorp 9y ago
  East coast checking in. The Chevy dealers here are stuck in their rut: they try to avoid the B word, talk you out of it if you ask for one, and basically stonewall. It's hard to get a test drive despite them sitting on MT car of the year. I'm not sure what's their motivation.

39 points by kbyatnal 9y ago

"when the software is ready" - every failed project ever.

> "when the software’s ready" Ummmmmm... So, what I really got out of the article, is GM and Cruise are now where Tesla has been for a little while, in that 1. They can install sensors on the assembly line that they think will enable level 5 autonomy and 2. They have a way to remotely update autonomy software on the cars.

0xbear 9y ago
Fine print: software will be ready in 2050.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
sjbase 9y ago
The key statement being "sensors [...] that they think will enable level 5 autonomy." One or both of GM and Tesla could easily be wrong about that. But you're completely right... it's like saying my Macbook is the world's first strong/general AI, once the software's ready.

joshdance 9y ago

What is the definition of mass-production?

rglover 9y ago
"Lots"

ljoshua 9y ago

One of the more interesting parts to me: > "...but [Vogt] added that these are destined for deployment in fleets, rather than as individually owned consumer vehicles." I think this really clarifies the direction that GM (and I believe other auto manufacturers) see as the way forward: moving from an individual-ownership model to an on-demand rent model.

sulam 9y ago
Strategically this gets really obvious when you look at the financial model. A rapidly depreciating asset that has utilization of <10% is kind of insane, but Americans have managed to pull it off. Many families even have 2 of them! You need wide open spaces, no public transit, and cheap power for them to even be financially feasible/desirable, and the automotive industry has had to work really hard to kill public transit, the country has had to go to war several times for cheap power, and as people migrate from rural to urban settings the wide open spaces have been replaced with commutes from hell. Cars are probably going the way of planes in the future -- hobbyists will operate them, wealthy people will have luxury models, and most people will just buy time in one. Self-driving technology is the nail in the coffin but it's probably happening without that.
- bkeroack 9y ago
  Insane for whom? Regardless of rate of depreciation it's still an asset. The relentless drive to push everything to rental transfers value from individuals (as equity) to industry/corporations in the form of operating profit. There's a reason why much of the economy is moving this way and it isn't beneficial to the vast majority of us.
tachyonbeam 9y ago
Cars intended for fleets might also mean they can afford to put expensive LIDARs on them. Fleets can afford to pay 100K+ per car whereas most individuals can't.

dpflan 9y ago

Let me see: the regulatory environment is in flux and not quite ready for autonomous vehicles; GM can claim an early lead for being to mass produce these vehicles - so who are the first customers - ride sharing companies and cities - and when is the first shipment / big contract expected? (I haven't done more research yet!; so I'm curious what other HNers know or think.)

JumpCrisscross 9y ago
Almost certainly not (American) cities. With Uber de-fanged, I'm not sure which competitor has the capital and sense of urgency to go to battle for self-driving cars. My guess is a foreign city-state, e.g. Singapore or Luxembourg.
- dpflan 9y ago
  Interesting. Do you know of any previous publicly expressed interest by either (or any!) of those cities?
- blackguardx 9y ago
  One minor point: Luxembourg the country has a city called Luxembourg inside it. Luxembourg the country isn't a city state, though. It has other cities/towns/villages.

gervase 9y ago

This was discussed here [0] in more detail (and from the original source) earlier today. [0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15220760 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15220760

rglover 9y ago

Things to not put your body into.

legohead 9y ago

I'd go buy a Bolt right now if it had the autopilot a Tesla has. They are readily available, relatively inexpensive, and can travel nearly 300 miles on a charge. Try and find a Model3 right now!

imglorp 9y ago
East coast checking in. The Chevy dealers here are stuck in their rut: they try to avoid the B word, talk you out of it if you ask for one, and basically stonewall. It's hard to get a test drive despite them sitting on MT car of the year. I'm not sure what's their motivation.