Calling all Millennials! If you ever grew up wanting your own "Kit" from Knight Rider, you'll be pleased to know we're getting one step closer to that being a reality. A new Miami-based startup called Chip Motors has unveiled 'Chip.'
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Costing $15,000, the electric vehicle can interact with its drivers, stream television and park itself.
Currently, 'Chip' is more akin to an electric golf buggy than a car. It's been designed to work within neighborhoods, rather than act as a fully-fledged vehicle. As such, you won't be seeing one speeding down the highway very soon. However, as we all know, once things begin to take off, development can move at a rapid pace.
"The small EV looks more like a rugged golf cart than a traditional car. It's built for errands, school drop-offs, beach trips, and grocery runs," Dexerto reports. "The Chip tops out at 25 mph, offers around 100 miles of range, and can be charged using either a standard 110-volt household outlet or a faster 240-volt connection."
Of course, 'Chip' isn't actually going to be speaking with you as a sentient being. It will have an on-board AI assistant to handle your conversations. Nevertheless, this development puts us one step closer to having a car that can follow our verbal commands.
The 'Knight Rider' Style Car Can Also Self-Diagnose Some Issues
Another cool feature, 'Chip' is expected to boast, is the fact that it can self-diagnose.
"It can also alert owners to maintenance issues, such as a slowly leaking tire, and integrate with smart home devices," Dexerto reported. "As drivers head home, it can ask whether they would like the living room air conditioning switched on and the garage door opened."
Honestly, though, if the company making these vehicles doesn't give us an option to have 'Kit's' voice for the assistant, they'll be making a huge mistake. Notalgia can drive sales like very few other things.
For now, these interactive vehicles will have an expected top speed of 25 miles per hour. Hopefully, they will become popular enough that fully-fledged cars will enter the company's roadmap in the near future.
