Here in Knoxville, it's fully recognized that we have prided ourselves on the traditions of southern America to add to our distinctive charm, and that doing business here doesn't feel the same as it does in Manhattan. Buying a car here doesn't feel the same as it does in Manhattan either: we pride ourselves on listening to a customer's needs, following through consistently, and still sealing things up with a handshake. With all of these mannerisms in mind, it can be a bit of a stretch sometimes to grapple with the pace of the oncoming future, but we are choosing to embrace it with excitement. GM announced recently that it is searching high and low among the best and brightest, in an attempt to complete a lofty project: the construction of a self-driving Chevy Bolt within the next three years.
Very qualified teams from Virginia Tech, the University of Waterloo, Kettering University, Michigan State University, Michigan Tech, the University of Toronto, Texas A&M, and North Carolina A&T have been selected to weigh in on how to get the job done. The current goal is to do whatever it takes to load up the Chevy Bolt EV with the fixins that it needs to take the lunge and go driverless. It was announced late last year that some of the most amazing young minds in the nation would be used to solve the problems that involved the most precision, and next Spring, the teams are going to try and meet a deadline of seeing to it that the car can do a straight line minus the driver.
Objectives such as sensor calibration and algorithm design try and pin down the most intelligent and efficient way to get the job done, and embrace future technology. Two years ago, the ride-sharing household name Uber partnered with Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, acknowledging just how valuable these young prodigies can be in the role of auto technology development. We realize that having 8 of these versatile think tanks at their fingertips is more than likely going to give them the raw talent that they need to get the job done.
With a 1.5L direct-injected high-efficiency engine, Volt is a very ingenious electric vehicle that runs with an excellent backup plan. While running on electric charge, it generates additional energy with a gas-powered generator if the battery happens to run low, which gives the driver confidence for a bit more in the distance department. The innovative Power Flow screen gives you many different ways to track your driving, and the Regen on Demand allocation system does an impeccable job of gaining motion from the vehicle itself and using it to keep the battery at optimum power. The Volt recharges itself with a 120-volt portable cord, and does the deed in just over 12 hours, while you're working on a good night's rest and winding down at home. It will be interesting to see just what advances this team of intelligent individuals will come up with, and we think that the 3-year window will fly by pretty quickly. It's already evident that plans for cars to be driverless are taking great strides, and the future will soon be pleasantly upon us.
