Adding the test vehicles would give GM what would appear to be the largest fleet of self-driving cars in the United States. The automaker already is testing more than 50 Chevrolet Bolt EVs with autonomous technology on public roads in Detroit, San Francisco and Scottsdale, Arizona. The new additions would be tested in those locations as well.
Google-backed Waymo, considered another major player in autonomous testing, currently has 160 vehicles on the road.
On Friday, a GM spokesman declined to discuss details, but issued a statement to The Detroit News that said: “While we do not discuss potential future product plans, our plan is to launch our autonomous vehicle technology first in an on-demand ride-sharing network.”
The contents of the FCC documents were first reported Friday by IEEE Spectrum, the online magazine of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
GM officials successfully sought FCC approval last month for dedicating part of the radio spectrum for the company’s dedicated short-range communications that would allow GM cars to “talk” to each other and to sensors on roads. GM sought use of the 78-81 GHz range to allow partner Alps Electrics’ radar to work effectively.
Documentation from the lobbying effort provided a small glimpse of the automakers’ plans: Alps Electric officials sought to test its equipment in 300 vehicles.
“The plan is to conduct the experiment in private test facilities, roads, vehicle access-ways and parking facilities in metropolitan areas,” Alps Electric’s John Cabigao wrote in an April 4 email to an FCC official.
GM’s autonomous work with San Francisco-based Cruise Automation, acquired by GM last year, is bolstering its development of self-driving cars. Earlier this week, GM received an $8 million tax credit package from the state of California. Those credits will allow the automaker to invest $14 million in facilities for Cruise Automation and hire 1,100 more workers.
GM also is working with Lyft Inc. to develop a fleet of self-driving Bolts that would be used for ride-sharing.