Volkswagen of America and Uber have announced an ambitious plan to create a commercial robotaxi service that will use VW's ID. BUZZ autonomous electric vehicles and operate in multiple U.S. cities within the next decade.
The two companies plan to launch the service in Los Angelesby the end of 2026. At present, no information has been given about the next cities that will join the program.
In the initial phase, the vehicles will not operate fully autonomously. The fleet robotaxi will be accompanied by human operators to oversee safety, until human intervention is completely withdrawn, which is expected to happen in 2027.
See also: Amazon Zoox recalls 258 autonomous vehicles
Volkswagen of America's subsidiary, ADMT, which is responsible for autonomous driving technology, will have up to two years to address legislative and regulatory requirements in California and obtain the necessary permits for testing and commercial operation of its vehicles.
ADMT plans to begin its first tests in Los Angeles later this year, once it secures an initial testing permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles. The department is responsible for regulating autonomous vehicle testing, while the California Public Utilities Commission handles the permits required to provide commercial robotaxi services.
Despite the hurdles still to be overcome, the partnership between Volkswagen of America and Uber is a notable step forward for Volkswagen ADMT. The VW subsidiary began operations in July 2023, launching a pilot program with autonomous vehicles in Austin, using a fleet of ten electric ID Buzz vehicles equipped with Mobileye technology .
See also: Tesla: Robotaxi service with fully autonomous vehicles in Texas
In 2023, Volkswagen said it had no plans to launch its own ride-hailing service. However, it has shown interest in marketing its autonomous ID Buzz vehicles and fleet management software to third-party providers.
The recent announcement of the partnership with Uber reinforces the impression that this business plan remains active and unchanged.
“Volkswagen is no longer just a car manufacturer – our goal is to shape the future of transportation, and our partnership with Uber brings us closer to this vision,” said Christian Senger, head of Volkswagen Autonomous Mobility. “What makes us unique is our ability to combine two key elements: expertise in mass production of vehicles with advanced technology and in-depth knowledge of the demands of urban mobility.”
See also: Uber and WeRide launch robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi
Several companies offer robotaxi services these days. It will be interesting to see how this technology develops and becomes integrated into our daily lives in the coming years. Rather than being limited to city centers, robotaxi services could potentially expand to suburban and rural areas, providing even greater accessibility for passengers. This could lead to a shift away from personal car ownership towards the use of autonomous vehicles as the primary means of transportation.
Source: techcrunch.com
