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A futuristic, $15,000 electric vehicle that chats with drivers, streams TV, and can even park itself sounds like something perfect for a California summer—but there’s one big catch: you can’t take it on the freeway.
Miami-based Chip Motors unveiled its tiny ‘life utility vehicle,’ an electric cruiser that looks more like a rugged golf cart than a traditional car.
The compact EV is designed for short commutes.
It tops out at 25 mph, offers about 100 miles of range and charges from either a standard 110-volt household outlet or a faster 240-volt connection.
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“We have 40 miles of range left. There is a fast charger 3 miles away on your right. Should I reroute us there and pre-condition the battery?” the assistant says during one demonstration.
It can also flag maintenance issues, warning drivers about a slowly leaking tire.
As owners head home, it can ask whether they would like the living room air conditioning switched on and the garage door opened.
Perhaps its flashiest feature is “Valet Mode,” which lets drivers step out and send the empty vehicle off to find a parking spot — or even return home on its own.
The catch is that the Chip is not fully autonomous.
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At launch in early 2027, remote human operators in the United States will control the empty vehicle using its onboard cameras and radar, and the feature only works when nobody is inside
The Chip is prohibited from driving on highways and freeways.
That makes it perfectly suited for neighborhood errands, school drop-offs, grocery pick-ups, and short local trips.
That also means it is unlikely to qualify for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s taxpayer-funded MyFirstEV rebate program, which is aimed at highway-capable passenger vehicles and trucks.
Tesla also does not receive the program’s special exemption for California-based Rivian and Lucid, leaving only base versions of the Model 3 and Model Y eligible under the pricing rules.
