• The Volkswagen Group is getting serious about autonomous vehicle.
• Its MOIA subsidiary just unveiled the production version of the ID. Buzz AD robotaxi.
• The electric van comes packed with 27 sensors and an advanced software platform.

With all the hype surrounding Tesla’s upcoming Robotaxi service debut in Austin, Texas, it’s easy to forget that there are other players in the autonomous driving game. One of those players is the Volkswagen Group, and it just upped the ante with the launch of the production-ready ID. Buzz AD driverless taxi.

In short, starting next year, companies, municipalities, and other entities will be able to order a fleet of ID. Buzz robotaxis as a ready-to-go package. MOIA, VW Group’s ridepooling company, said the autonomous vans come packed with everything that’s needed to operate them, including the sensor suite, full certification, and something called the autonomous driving Mobility-as-a-Service (AD MaaS) Platform, which enables operators to deploy the taxis extremely fast.

Meanwhile, Tesla’s two-door, two-seater Cybercab is slated to go on sale by the end of 2027, according to CEO Elon Musk.

The VW Group entity said it plans to obtain full certification of the ID. Buzz AD to operate driverless in the European Union and the United States soon. When it comes to the sensor suite, the electric minivan comes packed with no fewer than 27, including 13 cameras, nine Lidars and five radars. The information from all of these goes into the Mobileye-sourced electronic brain to help it make decisions in all types of scenarios, including those where emergency vehicles are involved.

The car meets all the requirements for SAE Level 4 automated vehicles, like remote supervision and safe handling of edge cases. By comparison, all Tesla vehicles sold today are still considered to be Level 2, meaning they always need driver supervision. The software platform that manages VW’s autonomous vehicles uses artificial intelligence to keep track of the fleet in real time, assist passengers automatically, and integrate seamlessly into existing ridesharing apps.

What makes this solution interesting compared to other ride-hailing platforms is that it enables anybody to start an Uber or Waymo rival without investing hundreds of millions of dollars in research, development, and certification. MOIA offers a turnkey solution, potentially opening up the autonomous vehicle industry to many new players.

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Source: Volkswagen

The van has four seats for passengers and one for the driver. However, no one will sit behind the steering wheel when the vehicle makes public trips. There’s also a luggage rack where the front passenger seat used to be.

In the United States, Uber partnered with MOIA to deploy thousands of self-driving ID. Buzz robovans over the next decade. The initial rollout will kick off in Los Angeles, with the first full commercial fleet going online next year. In Europe, MOIA has a ridepooling service in the German cities of Hanover and Hamburg.