The upcoming autonomous vehicle that Volkswagen is basing on the recently released ID. Buzz all-electric van will be significantly different than the vehicle it will sell to private customers. That’s according to Carsten Intra, the head of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, who recently spoke to Automobilewoche. Although the car will be based on the ID. Buzz, it won’t necessarily be identical to it.
Unlike the ID. Buzz, which is aimed at
private customers, the autonomous vehicle will be aimed at larger clients.
Whether or not it will have any driver inputs, such as a steering wheel and
pedals, is “an exciting question,” according to Intra. The autonomous vehicle
could be better optimized for four passengers and luggage than the ID. Buzz.
Intra would not comment on what the vehicle will look like, though.
Volkswagen has long been testing
autonomous technology for its electric vehicles. It has partnered with Argo AI
in its pursuit of driverless vehicles and wants to establish shuttle services
and self-driving delivery services worldwide, in the long term. First, though,
the ID. Buzz will be launched as robotaxis in Hamburg in 2025. By 2030, the
automaker wants to have autonomous services in 50 cities in Europe and North
America. On that latter continent, Intra said that collaborations with Uber and
Lyft are conceivable whereas on the former VW wants to offer the services
itself.
