Volkswagen is silent and does: the first self-tested ID.Buzz tested

The electric iteration of VW’s flagship hippie van uses lidar and radar sensors, as well as cameras for navigation, mapping and route planning.

An autonomous version of the Volkswagen ID Buzz sailed for the first time in real traffic conditions in Germany, while the largest carmaker in Europe takes its autonomous driving technology on public roads, amid an effort to dominate the industry car software. The car is a prototype for the series version that will be launched and will be based on the electric model that has just been launched on the market in Europe.

VW Group CEO Herbert Diess sat in the back seat of a prototype ID Buzz equipped with autonomous driving technology as he drove through the center of Munich this month.

An electric iteration of the flagship VW van from the hippie era, the vehicle uses lidar and radar sensors, as well as cameras for navigation, mapping and route planning.

VW is cooperating on this project with the self-driving startup supported by Ford Motor Argo AI.

The aim is to introduce a self-driving service in Hamburg by 2025 and, finally, to provide freight and delivery services in Europe and the USA.

Volkswagen is working hard

“We want to be part of the public transportation system in the future,” Christian Senger, who is in charge of autonomous driving at VW’s commercial vehicle unit, said in the video. “We believe that the mobility of the robot will be even safer than a human in public transport can be.”

Volkswagen aims to launch autonomous cars in the next three years, both in passenger and freight versions, used for deliveries. The group is also developing models exclusively for passengers, which can be used without a driver.

“ID.Buzz is an original model for the electric age. A car that only VW could build. In the 50’s, VW Bulli fought for the feeling of car freedom, independence and emotions. ID.Buzz lifts this lifestyle and transfers it to our times: emission-free, sustainable, fully connected and ready for a new chapter, self-driving. With this car, we bring together the core theme of our strategy into one product for the first time, ”said Ralf Brandstatter, CEO of VW.