A big push and investment by GM and Lyft may bring self-driving electric taxis to roadways within a year. GM and Lyft will begin testing electric self-driving taxis, as the electric car race and the ride-sharing trend continue. Their attempt at self-driving taxis may also be a way to battle California tech companies. You may begin to see driverless pink mustache electric cars cruising roadways by next year. Will this put a dent in the Tesla market? Or are there two completely different markets behind the wheel? Tesla continues to cater to higher end consumers while GM produces more affordable cars.
GM and Lyft Electric Relationship
GM and Lyft may be on the forefront of reshaping the auto industry. As well as the ride-sharing business with a partnership that simply makes sense. Within a year, they expect to be testing electric cars on public roads in an effort to leap ahead. Romance sparked after GM invested $500 million in the ride-sharing company known for their pink mustaches. Lyft is naturally a rival of Uber, and GM appears to also be a new rival to Tesla. They are simply an automaker attempting to stay up-to-date with the times.
Gaining Driverless Driving Tech
In a move to make their cars driverless, GM has plans to purchase new driverless driver tech. The deal with Cruise Automation Inc., a San Francisco based tech development company is worth $1 billion. Lyft and GM have also struck a deal for the upcoming Chevrolet Bolt. The Bolt is an electric car the ride-sharing company is committed to purchase in large numbers.
Tesla and Silicon Valley’s Answer
Will Tesla be knocked off its premier electric car design and manufacturing pedestal? Probably not, since Tesla is focused on a completely different consumer. A new Tesla electric car ranges between $70,000 and $100,000, depending on engine type and other features. A Tesla price for a fully autonomous car hasn’t even been conceptualized yet. They are simply attempting to stay relevant as a big automaker, as Google and Tesla continue to develop vehicles for the future. Uber and Alphabet may need to be more concerned since Lyft appears to have some very rich funding coming their way.
