AUSTIN, Texas — Car enthusiasts anticipating the November launch of Volkswagen’s all-electric ID Buzz van in the United States might be surprised to learn 15 have already been on the road here for more than a year.
The automaker’s self-driving subsidiary uses the ID Buzz in its autonomous test fleet in Austin, where it plans to offer commercial service by the end of 2026.
The ID Buzz, a three-row van that is at once a sleek nod to the future and a throwback to the company’s iconic Microbus, has already helped Volkswagen stand out amid burgeoning robotaxi competition in Austin.
“People here are curious seeing our vehicles drive around,” said Katrin Lohmann, head of Volkswagen Autonomous Driving Mobility & Transport, known as ADMT. “Sometimes you see it in their faces.”
They’ll see more of the vans soon. The U.S. version of the ID Buzz reaches American showrooms next month for sale as conventional consumer vehicles.
But for now, the European version of the ID Buzz has given Volkswagen’s autonomous-driving program visibility in a city where other robotaxi competitors will include Google subsidiary Waymo, Amazon’s Zoox and upstart Avride Inc.
None has started driverless, commercial service open to the public. Waymo will likely be the first. It plans to start in early 2025 via the Uber app across a 37-square-mile swath of the city.
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While Waymo operates its own ride-hailing network and concurrently deploys vehicles with Uber, Volkswagen ADMT intends to only place cars on existing networks rather than start its own.
“We don’t see a need to go in that direction right now,” Lohmann said. “But that could change over time.”
Volkswagen’s preparations include substantial updates across its vehicle platform, software and operations.
The company is transitioning to second-generation ID Buzz robotaxis, which come with a new sensor configuration and new lidar provider. Israeli startup Innoviz replaces Luminar for long-distance tech.
Those vehicles also get a next-generation self-driving system from Volkswagen’s collaboration with Mobileye. It will use Mobileye’s EyeQ6 system on a chip.
“That transition is really happening, and this is one of our main milestones over the next year,” Lohmann said. “There are some functionalities in complex scenarios only enabled by the EyeQ6.”
Volkswagen ADMT uses the ID Buzz as its global autonomous-driving platform. Beyond Austin, it is conducting tests in Munich and Hamburg, Germany. But there are some vehicular differences by region, based on what consumers prefer and what regulatory agencies in the U.S. and European Union require.
Charging is one difference VW has encountered using the European ID Buzz in its Austin testing, Lohmann said. The plugs are based on European standards and require an adapter to use at VW’s Austin depot. The adapters do not work at public chargers.
Changing to the new U.S. ID Buzz will eliminate that headache.
Another charging challenge remains — power. Volkswagen’s Austin depot more than a dozen charging stations exclusive to ADMT’s vehicles. VW will add more, but “the grid is not powerful enough at our hub to really supply us with energy for a larger fleet, as well as fast charging,” Lohmann said.
Volkswagen ADMT is working with its utility provider to improve performance ahead of its planned 2026 launch.
Volkswagen ADMT has about 700 employees, Lohmann said. The company formed the subsidiary months after shuttering Argo AI, a self-driving startup it backed with Ford Motor Co., in October 2022.
Some of the company’s technology, workforce talent and strategic blueprint are a holdover from the Argo era, including the Austin, Munich and Hamburg playbooks. Volkswagen intends a 2026 commercial launch in Germany as well.
Developments in all three markets — plus closed-course testing at a private proving ground in Munich — feed into one Mobileye self-driving system. The self-driving system is engineered to meet technical and regulatory requirements across both the European Union and United States, Lohmann said.
“When we take the highest standards for both markets, it allows us to expand in both markets at the same time,” she said. “We are building one global product. … We think it’s a good approach.”
Source: autonews.com
