Volkswagen and Uber have announced a major partnership to create a commercial driverless taxi service in the United States. The first VW ID. Buzz robotaxis will begin transporting passengers in Los Angeles as early as 2026, but operators will be behind the wheel for backup. By 2027, the cars will be fully autonomous.
Image source: Uber, techcrunch.com
According to TechCrunch, the service is planned to be rolled out in several US cities over the next decade, but for now the project is only launching in Los Angeles. Initially, the minibuses will have security operators on board, but Uber and Volkswagen plan to switch to fully driverless transportation within a year. According to Volkswagen representatives, it is possible to receive all the necessary permits from regulators during this time.
Volkswagen subsidiary ADMT, which is responsible for autonomous technology, will begin testing in California later this year after receiving approval from the local Department of Motor Vehicles. Commercial permits will be issued by the state Public Utilities Commission, which is a significant step for Volkswagen, especially after the Argo AI project was canceled and the focus shifted to Mobileye.
As Christian Senger, head of Volkswagen Autonomous Mobility, says, Volkswagen is not just a car manufacturer, but “the future of mobility.” “Our strength lies in the combination of mass production, advanced technology, and an understanding of the needs of urban transport,” he emphasizes. “And the partnership with Uber will only accelerate this process.”
Although Volkswagen has previously said it has no plans to develop its own taxi service, the company nonetheless sees potential in selling its ID. Buzz driverless minibuses and fleet management software. Its partnership with Uber underscores this strategy.
It should be noted that this is not the first partnership in the field of autonomous transport for Uber. VW actively cooperates with more than 14 developers from the United States, including Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, which has already launched a robotaxi service in Austin and is preparing to launch in Atlanta. According to experts, the alliance between Volkswagen and Uber could become one of the key players in the unmanned transportation market in the United States, despite regulatory obstacles and technological challenges.