To ensure that the self-driving all-electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz AD (Autonomous Driving) is ready for series production, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will begin testing the vehicle in the coming weeks in Munich, Germany. The vehicles will be tasked with carrying passengers from the politics, public authority and business sectors, so they can see the vehicle’s control capabilities for themselves.
The development program is focused on the autonomous vehicle’s commercial use in urban centers, when utilized for ridesharing schemes and transportation.
“Expanding our autonomous vehicle program to North America is the next step in our global strategic roadmap and the result of a long-term investment,” said Christian Senger, member of the board of management responsible for development of autonomous driving at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. “This will help us to test, validate and refine the technology on American roads as well.”
The all-electric Level 4 vehicle benefits from mass production technology and is fitted with a self-driving system from Mobileye, in addition to cameras, radar and lidar. The OEM’s test fleet collects data in a variety of driving scenarios, with a human on board and supervising at all times.
Volkswagen’s large-capacity model can carry four passengers and will be able to be produced in large quantities once ready for series production. Through the validation of the ID. Buzz AD, the Volkswagen Group aims to expand its commercially available transportation services in addition to varying its mobility portfolio.
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