GM is bringing its all-electric and autonomous Chevy Bolt EV prototypes to New York

After testing their all-electric and autonomous Chevy Bolt EV prototypes in California, Michigan, and Arizona, GM’s Cruise Automation vehicles are going to New York City to further test their system in a difficult traffic environment.

Kyle Vogt, CEO of Cruise Automation, announced today in a statement:

“Testing in New York will accelerate the timeline to deploying self-driving cars at scale. New York City is one of the most densely populated places in the world and provides new opportunities to expose our software to unusual situations, which means we can improve our software at a much faster rate. We look forward to working with Governor Cuomo as we work toward bringing next-generation transportation solutions to New York.”

State legislation introduced earlier this year allows for testing autonomous vehicles in the state.

Governor Cuomo also commented on the announcement:

“Autonomous vehicles have the potential to save time and save lives, and we are proud to be working with GM and Cruise on the future of this exciting new technology. The spirit of innovation is what defines New York, and we are positioned on the forefront of this emerging industry that has the potential to be the next great technological advance that moves our economy and moves us forward.”

Like in other regions where Cruise and GM are testing their prototypes, all testing will include an engineer in the driver’s seat to monitor and evaluate performance, and a second person in the passenger seat.

They filed the application to start testing and they already started mapping the area where the vehicles will be tested.

The company didn’t confirm the size of the fleet that will be tested in New York.

In June, GM announced the completion of the first batch of 130 Chevy Bolt EV autonomous prototypes at its Orion Assembly Plant located in Orion Township, Michigan.

Last month, they claimed to be ready to “mass produce” self-driving Chevy Bolt EVs.

They are already using part of their fleet to carry Cruise employees “anywhere in San Francisco using their app” – an early version of the service they plan to offer to the public someday.

A day that Vogt says will come sooner due to Cruise’s new test program in New York.