Austin, Texas residents will soon witness a significant increase in the number of black and yellow Volkswagen ID. Buzz vehicles roaming their streets. Volkswagen, the renowned automaker, has chosen this vibrant city to launch its first autonomous vehicle test program in the United States, utilizing a fleet of ten state-of-the-art vehicles.
Pablo Di Si, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “We are thrilled to bring our exciting ID. Buzz vehicles to American roads. Expanding Volkswagen Group’s global autonomous driving vehicle program to the United States marks an important milestone for us.”
Equipped with Volkswagen’s self-developed autonomous driving software, in collaboration with Mobileye, these Level 4 autonomous ID. Buzz vehicles are well-prepared to navigate Austin’s complex road network. They are equipped with a comprehensive set of cameras, radar sensors, and LiDAR sensors. For the initial testing phase, a human operator will be present to intervene if any issues arise.
This initiative is part of Volkswagen’s broader global effort to advance autonomous driving technology. The company aims to familiarize itself with American driving styles and gather valuable data using the ID. Buzz fleet. Over the next three years, Volkswagen plans to expand the test fleet and introduce it to at least four other cities across the United States.
Volkswagen’s ambitious goal is to launch commercial operations in Austin by 2026, relying on the extensive testing and knowledge gained during the program. However, the automaker does not intend to establish its own ride-hailing service at this time. Instead, it plans to offer its autonomous vehicles to companies in the mobility and transportation sectors.
Christian Senger, the head of Volkswagen’s global autonomous program, emphasized the significance of this expansion, stating, “Expanding our autonomous vehicle program to the North American Region is the next step in our global strategic roadmap and the result of a long-term collaborative investment. Moving into this next phase will help us test, validate, and refine technology, bring us closer to establishing commercially available transportation offerings, and eventually grow the diverse mobility portfolio for the Volkswagen Group.”
Volkswagen is now entering a competitive market, where it will vie with established players such as GM’s Cruise and Google’s Waymo in developing autonomous vehicles for the U.S. market. While these companies have already conducted testing in cities like San Francisco and Las Vegas for several years, Volkswagen is determined to catch up and make a significant impact with its autonomous driving technology.
