Volkswagen like Tesla: Its robotaxi arrives in 2026

The German carmaker is working on a fully autonomous driving version of the ID.Buzz. Here is what it looks like and what technologies it uses

Photo by: Volkswagen

By: Francesco Barontini

Oct 25, 2024 at 3:19am ET

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Volkswagen also wants its own robotaxi, but unlike Tesla, which has designed a new vehicle, the Wolfsburg group has decided to use the ID.Buzz as the basis for this driverless transport service.

This is stated by the American subsidiary of the German giant, which is currently preparing to launch the ID.Buzz in the United States (scheduled to debut in November). For this reason, the Volkswagen Autonomous Driving Mobility and Transport (ADMT) division has announced that it is working to update the hardware and software of the famous electric 'van' in order to create a version capable of moving without the need for human intervention.

Tests in the US and Europe

In fact, Volkswagen has been working on the self-driving ID.Buzz project since 2023. Currently, a fleet of 15 experimental vehicles is driving on the streets of Austin, Texas.

"People get curious when they see one of our driverless vehicles drive by," said Katrin Lohmann, head of the ADMT department. "Their faces fill with astonishment when they realise there is no one behind the wheel.

Volkswagen ID.Buzz autonomous driving test in Munich

A number of self-driving ID.Buzz vehicles are also being tested in Europe, in the German cities of Munich and Hamburg. In Munich, the vehicles are also being tested in a test centre that allows certain situations to be simulated in complete safety.

"We at ADMT also deal with everything related to artificial intelligence,' explained Lohmann. 'We are around 700 people and we develop software and hardware in order to make our ID.Buzz suitable for moving around in city contexts in complete autonomy. They have to be able to do this in compliance with European and US legislation, because we want to build a global product'.

Volkswagen ID.Buzz robotaxi: currently working on hardware and software

Starting in 2026

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Now that the ID.Buzz will also be launched in the US, Volkswagen wants to race to offer the self-driving version as early as 2026. The vehicle is expected to be ready for commercial use within two years. Volkswagen will not create a fleet with which to offer the driverless taxi service itself. The idea is to sell the ID.Buzz to companies operating in the sector, such as Uber, to name but one.

By that time, the ID.Buzz will be equipped with advanced sensors and a next-generation Lidar that will be provided by the Israeli start-up Innoviz. For data management, the Volkswagen vehicles will be based on the EyeQ6 system, a collaboration between Volkswagen and Mobileye.