© 2025 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

GM Says It's Mass-Producing Cars Without Steering Wheels

car and buildng
Courtesy
/
General Motors

General Motors says it is making the first mass-production autonomous car without a steering wheel or pedals.

The company says it has filed a petition with the federal government seeking permission to put the vehicles on the road sometime next year with no human backup drivers.

GM's Cruise Automation unit has announced plans to carry passengers in self-driving cars that won't have a backup driver in 2019.

The location of the service has not been revealed.

GM spokesman Kevin Kelly says the first of the autonomous Chevrolet Bolts is being tested. He says the company isn't announcing how many will be made.

Waymo, which used to be the autonomous car arm of Alphabet Inc.'s Google, has made a limited number of autonomous vehicles without steering wheels and pedals.

Every WKAR News story you read is rooted in fact-based, local journalism, produced without commercial influence and available for free to everyone in mid-Michigan. No paywalls. Ever.

But this work doesn’t fund itself. With significant cuts to federal funding, public media is facing a critical moment. If you believe in journalism that serves the public interest, now is the time to act. Donate today.