A $15,000 self-driving neighborhood car takes reservations for 2027

Chip Motors is building a low-speed electric vehicle that starts at $15,000 and promises to drive itself home empty using a remote human operator.

Miami-based startup Chip Motors is developing an electric low-speed vehicle it calls Chip, a "life utility vehicle" starting at US$15,000 \u2014 roughly half the price of a new Nissan Leaf. It tops out at 25 mph, qualifying as a US low-speed vehicle allowed on roads posted at 35 mph or less, and claims 100 miles of range. Configurations seat four or six, with open-frame, soft-top, or enclosed body styles, plus options like a flip-up TV, surfboard holder, and roof bike rack.

The headline feature is Chip Go, a service that moves the car when it is empty using a human operator driving remotely. Cofounder Jameson Detweiler told InsideEVs the company will accept full legal liability during teleoperated driving \u2014 a notable commitment given that autonomy liability is one of the field's thorniest questions.

If it ships as described, Chip attacks the price barrier that keeps most electric and autonomous mobility out of reach. A neighborhood car that parks and retrieves itself, at half the cost of the cheapest mainstream EV, would make short-trip mobility cheaper and more available \u2014 especially for people who don't need highway speed. A competitor, the Wink Mark3, seats four with 85 miles of range for just under $18,000.

The caveats are large. Range, autonomy, and pricing details for Chip Go are unconfirmed, and how the remote system handles unexpected pedestrian behavior is an open safety question. Deliveries are planned for 2027, not happening now; reservations take a $250 deposit.

Source: New Atlas