Volkswagen is rolling out an autonomous driving vehicle test fleet with ID. Buzz EVs in Austin.
VW is launching its program with 10 ID. Buzz EVs that are kitted out with an autonomous driving (AD) technology platform that the global Volkswagen Group and tech company Mobileye developed.
Each of the SAE L4 ID. Buzz EVs is outfitted with an AD technology platform that includes cameras, radar, and lidar technology. All of the vehicles will have human drivers at all times throughout the initial pilot.
VW is going to grow its test fleet in Austin over the next three years, and it also plans to expand AD testing operations to at least four more US cities.
Volkswagen Group of America will lead the strategy and business development in the US, and it’s launched a subsidiary called Volkswagen ADMT (that stands for Autonomous Driving Mobility & Transport) to support the AD program rollout, with teams in Belmont, California, and Austin.
Katrin Lohmann, president of Volkswagen ADMT, explained why VW chose Texas’s capital:
We selected Austin as the first US hub, as the city has a track record for embracing innovation and offers a conducive climate for the testing of autonomous vehicles.
VW is aiming to launch AD vehicles in Austin by 2026.
Read more: VW’s rideshare arm using Apex.AI software to enable autonomous robotaxis using ID.Buzz EVs
Photo: Volkswagen
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