At the Intellegent Transport Systems Conference in Detroit GM is demonstrating the a self-driving version of the EN-V 2.0, slow-driving petite car designed for the most congested cities.
The Chevrolet Electric Networked-Vehicle (EN-V) 2.0 has the latest intelligent and connected automotive technologies including Lidar and V2X to for automated, low-speed electric driving LSV.
The vehicle that some say looks like a lady bug, giant running shoe or carnival bumper car. There’s barely a hood and the doors open like wings but two adults can fit into it.
Unlike the rounded bubble “Herbie” Google car, the EN-V 2 has a steering wheel, brakes, gas pedals and autonomous tech including cameras, Lidar, V2V and V2I technology. In other words it sees the other cars on the road as well as knows when the traffic light is going change.
The EN-V 2.0 is not a car per se, it is in the realm of golf carts (LSV) [Low-Speed-Vehicle] with relaxed safety requirements and the top speed of 25 mph. This is plug-in electric vehicle and four EN-V 2.0’s can fit in one normal sized parking space.
This kind of vehicle is good for rides to the train station in the rain or local jaunts to the market but not for the highway. Recently, I was behind an electric LSV on a city street and it seemed v-e-r-y slow compared to the rest of the traffic.
GM also demoed a Chevrolet Cruze equipped with V2P (Vehicle-to-Pedestrian) communication that warns drivers then there is pedestrian that can be not seen.