$15K robotic EV talks back and parks itself — but you can’t drive it everywhere

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 but packs a surprising list of high-tech features.

The compact EV is designed for errands, school runs and 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.

“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 before asking, as owners head home, whether they’d 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.

At launch, 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.

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For California drivers, the biggest drawback is even simpler. The Chip is classified as a Low-Speed Vehicle, meaning it’s capped at 25 mph and is prohibited from driving on highways and freeways.

That makes it better suited for neighborhood errands, school drop-offs and short local trips than the daily freeway commute many Californians face.

The classification could also leave buyers out of California’s taxpayer-funded MyFirstEV rebate program, which is geared toward highway-capable passenger vehicles and trucks.

The Chip offers an estimated 100 miles of driving range and can recharge using either a standard 110-volt household outlet or a faster 240-volt charger.

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.