VW’s US self-driving arm, Volkswagen ADMT (Autonomous Driving Mobility & Transport), is partnering with Uber to roll out thousands of autonomous ID. Buzz vans across the US over the next decade.
The plan kicks off in Los Angeles, with testing starting later this year and commercial rides expected to launch in 2026.
The ID. Buzz autonomous driving (AD) vans will have human operators onboard during early testing and launch phases to help fine-tune the tech and keep things safe. Each stage will only move forward once regulators give the green light.
Volkswagen’s mobility brand MOIA is supplying the vehicles and the AD software that’ll run them on Uber’s platform. It’s a full-stack approach to bringing self-driving EVs to ride-hailing, and another sign that the robotaxi race is heating up.
Top comment by FC
Oh wow... Look what is on top of these autonomous cars... LIDAR. They aren't trying to take a cheap shortcut by using a handful of poorly placed low resolution cameras, no radar, and no ultrasonic sensors like someone else we know.
Teslas cannot detect cross traffic when backing out of parking spaces beyond what narrow field of view the single rear camera has, but the stable genius wants us to all believe that there will be "millions" of Tesla robotaxis next year. It's even more of a problem in dense urban areas where people frequently are parked on both sides of the road, and the only way a Tesla can verify it's safe to clear through an intersection is relying on the peripheral vision of the 2/3 forward facing cameras (depending on HW) and the single B-pillar camera on each side of the car (which is positioned 5+ feet rear of the nose of the car). Think how many times a day accidents happen because a human driver who can lean forward and swivel their head couldn't see adequately and decided it was safe to proceed forward. That's why you have radar on other cars on the 4 corners aimed sideways to detect cross traffic at much farther distances and radar can determine how fast an object is moving with quite high accuracy, as well as its distance. If it's foggy or rainy, radar still can see further than a water covered camera.
“Volkswagen is not just a car manufacturer – we are shaping the future of mobility, and our collaboration with Uber accelerates that vision,” said Christian Senger, CEO of Volkswagen Autonomous Mobility.
In March 2024, Volkswagen became the first vehicle manufacturer to develop a Level 4 AD service vehicle for large-scale production. Level 4 AD means the car can handle most driving situations independently in a defined area, such as a city. It can also drive alone, without passengers.
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