The VW subsidiary for automated driving, MOIA, has taken another hurdle on the way towards the deployment of autonomous vehicles and is presenting the ID. Buzz AD, Volkswagen's first fully autonomous series vehicle specifically optimized for use in mobility services. It is intended to be a building block of a comprehensive overall solution that, in addition to the vehicle, consists of a software ecosystem and services for operators of autonomous mobility services. By offering this, the company advertises to public and private mobility providers a turnkey solution to establish autonomous services quickly, safely, and scalably. Unlike the ever-bold pioneer Tesla, it does not see itself as competition for taxis and public transport, but rather as a complement and partner of municipalities - "the German way," so to speak.
"With our fully autonomous complete package, we are creating a mobility solution that is unique in this form: Cities, municipalities, and fleet operators can provide autonomous mobility for everyone simply and reliably. Our driverless ID. Buzz shuttles are part of a fully connected 360-degree package of leading technology, attractive vehicle offerings, intelligent fleet management, and customer-oriented booking system - all from a single source, quickly scalable to fleet size," enthuses Oliver Blume, CEO of the Volkswagen Group.
Blume thus sees the group even positioned among the leading group of a "billion-dollar global growth market." Hamburg serves as the starting point, although in the initial phase a safety driver still has to be on board here, which is why, unlike Tesla's Robo-Taxi called Cybercab, a driver's seat is still installed inside. From 2026, VW aims to make "sustainable, autonomous mobility on a large scale" available in Europe and the USA.
Anti-Tesla: Prefer to Play it Safe
And in doing so, it is
going for safety: Unlike Tesla, where the risk-taking boss Elon Musk relies on "vision only," meaning a combination of camera and software, VW installs no fewer than 27 sensors, including 13 cameras, nine lidar laser radars, and five radars. This is intended to create redundancies in case a component fails, despite the complex protective and cleaning technology installed. The Californians have announced they want to start commercial operations shortly after presenting a prototype. "The Germans" place more value on thoroughness and have been testing the Mobiley technology to the limit for two years. 600,000 test kilometers with 100 prototypes were completed, including at Munich Airport, in Hamburg, winter tests in Oslo, and in Austin, Tesla's home. And the testing "is going and going" - planned until the end of 2026, rather until 2027. VW prefers the difficult but safe path.
“With the ID. Buzz AD, future technology becomes market-ready. In a fully autonomous comprehensive solution of vehicle and software, we bundle our technological competence and specifically rely on artificial intelligence. Our goal is to create intelligent mobility solutions that are deployable in Europe and worldwide. In doing so, we make a concrete contribution to technological sovereignty and strengthen the automotive location Germany in a highly dynamic field of innovation,” explains Christian Senger, CEO of Volkswagen Autonomous Mobility.
Ambitious: All Components in One Solution
The overall solution aims to bundle all components to turn an autonomous vehicle into a ready-to-use mobility system. It consists of a vehicle homologated according to automotive standards, including a self-driving system from Mobileye, and a specially developed Autonomous Driving Mobility as a Service (AD MaaS) Ecosystem Platform. The software uses artificial intelligence to control fleets in real-time, support passengers automatically, monitor safety, and integrate seamlessly
into existing booking apps. At the same time, it meets key regulatory requirements for vehicles with automation level 4 according to the SAE standard, such as remote monitoring and handling of exceptional situations like rescue operations safely. The service is supplemented by a third component, the so-called Operator Enablement. Operators of autonomous vehicle fleets receive full support to implement and operate an AD ecosystem - from simulation and training to operational launch and live monitoring in everyday life.
“Mobility is a basic human need. Artificial intelligence opens up completely new possibilities to provide people with access to flexible, shared, comfortable, and affordable mobility,” says Sascha Meyer, CEO of MOIA. Autonomous vehicles can help address challenges such as the increasing driver shortage or low demand in rural areas. “With the AD ecosystem and the ID. Buzz AD, we create a mobility offering that allows operators of autonomous fleets to reach cities, suburbs, and rural areas equally,” Sascha Meyer further expressed his conviction.
It is to be manufactured in the VW commercial vehicles plant in Hannover, which could use additional utilization given the poor sales of the "normal" ID. Buzz. It's about large quantities, Senger tells dpa and believes they can be the leading supplier in Europe. VW plans to deliver well over 10,000 units of the newly presented first generation of the ID Buzz AD. The first 1,000 are to be on the road by the end of 2027. Just Uber alone, with whom the Wolfsburg company agreed on a cooperation in the USA in April, plans to take up to 10,000 vehicles within ten years, Senger said. In Hamburg, originally said to start regular operations in 2026, it is expected to begin in 2027. In the medium term, the
fleet there could grow to 500 self-driving e-bullis, added Sascha Meyer from VW's own ride-sharing provider Moia, which operates the vehicles in Hamburg. Even though it is expected that the business will initially be a subsidized business, Senger still sees "the great opportunity to create a future possibility for the VW group," which will eventually pay off in the long run. However, the high-tech model will not be sold to private customers, the price could be in the low six-figure range.
For the Mass Market or Just a Niche?
One argument in favor of the autonomous bullis is the currently further worsening driver shortage, although initially, additional staff is needed to play it safe. Also, the educational impact of strictly programmed Robo-Bullis, adhering to traffic regulations without "speed tolerance," on the traffic environment could be a positive aspect. From an operator's perspective, however, the application scenario is questionable: On one hand, the ID. Buzz is not barrier-free, always an important aspect. On the other hand, its use in rural municipalities, where public transport is often sparse, is unlikely to be profitable, and in areas where services run at least half capacity regularly, it may not be profitable. The clientele remains in suburban areas, where public transport does not suffice and is not flexible enough. The Berlin BVG has already expressed interest, and cooperation with the Hamburg transport association (hvv) already exists. Here, the fleet could grow to 500 autonomous minibuses. And the Association of Transport Companies is calling for a "jump-start funding from the government" for the expensive Robo-Shuttles amounting to three billion euros to even get the autonomous service off the ground. Whether this is enough to give the Robo-Bulli a boost in scaling remains to be seen.
