General Motors (GM) has completed production of 130 Chevrolet Bolt EV test vehicles, which are equipped with next-generation self-driving technologies. 

The new test vehicles are produced at GM’s Orion Assembly Plant in Orion Township, Michigan.

These vehicles will be added to the existing 50 current-generation self-driving Bolt EVs that are deployed in testing fleets in San Francisco; Scottsdale, Arizona; and metro Detroit.

The new fleet of EV test vehicles features LIDAR, cameras, sensors and other hardware designed to accelerate development of a safe and reliable fully autonomous vehicle. 

General Motors chairman and CEO Mary Barra said: “This production milestone brings us one step closer to making our vision of personal mobility a reality. 

“Expansion of our real-world test fleet will help ensure that our self-driving vehicles meet the same strict standards for safety and quality that we build into all of our vehicles.” 

"This production milestone brings us one step closer to making our vision of personal mobility a reality."

GM and Cruise Automation engineers have been testing Chevrolet Bolt EVs equipped with self-driving technology on public roads in San Francisco and Scottsdale, Arizona, since June last year and on public roads in Warren, Michigan, since January. 

Cruise Automation develops autonomous driving technologies.  

Cruise Automation CEO Kyle Vogt said: “To achieve what we want from self-driving cars, we must deploy them at scale.

"By developing the next-generation self-driving platform in San Francisco and manufacturing these cars in Michigan, we are creating the safest and most consistent conditions to bring our cars to the most challenging urban roads that we can find.” 

Image: Chevrolet Bolt EV autonomous test vehicles are assembled at General Motors Orion Assembly in Orion Township, Michigan. Photo: courtesy of Jeffrey Sauger/General Motors.