Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWGoA) has announced the launch of its first autonomous vehicle test program in Austin, starting in July 2023. The program will commence with a fleet of 10 all-electric ID. Buzz vehicles are equipped with an autonomous driving technology platform jointly developed by the Volkswagen Group and technology company Mobileye. Over the next three years, Volkswagen plans to expand its test fleet in Austin and gradually extend testing operations to at least four more cities in the United States. The ultimate goal is to commercially launch autonomous driving vehicles in Austin by 2026.
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Pablo Di Si, President and CEO, of Volkswagen Group of America, said, “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. In the future, we will tap into the rising demand for new mobility services, and with our iconic ID. Buzz, we will also offer a truly captivating product to support transportation services American consumers can rely upon and trust.”
Volkswagen will lead the strategy and business development in the United States, establishing a subsidiary called Volkswagen ADMT, LLC to support the implementation of its autonomous driving vehicle program. The company will have teams based in Belmont, California, and Austin, Texas. It also plans to hire team members who have experience working with Argo AI. For its test fleet, the company will utilize autonomous driving technology and ID. Buzz vehicles are provided by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in Germany.
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In the future, the company intends to offer fleets of specially designed ID. Buzz AD vehicles as a comprehensive service, which includes fleet management and remote guidance solutions, to other companies in the mobility and transportation sector. The company aims to establish long-term partnerships in this endeavour and is not currently developing its own ride-hailing or ride-sharing service.
In Austin, Volkswagen will utilize its growing test fleet of ID. Buzz AD vehicles to gather data from a wide range of driving scenarios and distances. Each of the initial SAE L4 ID. Buzz vehicles will be equipped with autonomous driving technology, incorporating cameras, radar, and lidar technology. During the initial test phase, all vehicles will have human drivers present to supervise operations at all times.
“We are excited and ready to roll out our autonomous pilot and test fleet in Austin”, said Katrin Lohmann, President, of Volkswagen ADMT, LLC. “We selected Austin as the first U.S. hub, as the city has a track record for embracing innovation and offers a conducive climate for the testing of autonomous vehicles. We are committed to continuing an open and collaborative dialogue with the city and its diverse stakeholders.”
