Volkswagen AVs hit the streets of Austin, Texas

VW launches three-year test programme which is set to expand to at least four more US cities
By Adam Hill July 11, 2023 Read time: 2 mins
VW anticipates a commercial launch of AVs in Austin by 2026 (© Volkswagen US Media Site)

Volkswagen Group of America is launching its first autonomous driving test programme in the US.

Ten electric ID. Buzz vehicles are on the streets of Austin, Texas, this month - the start of a three-year programme which VW says will see the Austin test fleet growing while it plans to "progressively expand testing operations to at least four more American cities".

The vehicles - which will initially have human drivers supervising - are fitted with an autonomous driving tech platform, which includes cameras, radar, and Lidar, developed by the global Volkswagen Group and Mobileye.

The vehicles will collect data through driven miles across "a diversity of driving scenarios", and VW anticipates a commercial launch of AVs in Austin by 2026.

Pablo Di Si, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, called it an "important milestone".

"In the future, we will tap into rising demand for new mobility services," he added. However, the company insists it is not building a dedicated ride-hailing or ride-share service "on its own at this time".

The OEM has established a subsidiary - Volkswagen ADMT (Autonomous Driving Mobility & Transport) - to support the AV roll-out, with teams in Austin and Belmont, California.

VW also says it plans to employ team members who worked with Argo AI and aims to offer fleets of specially-designed ID. Buzz autonomous driving vehicles to "leading companies in the mobility and transportation space, and establish long-term partnerships".  

Christian Senger, member of the board of management of VW Commercial Vehicles with responsibility for the development of autonomous driving, says: “Moving into this next phase will help us test, validate and refine technology, bring us closer to establishing commercially available transportation offerings and eventually grow the diverse mobility portfolio for the VW Group.”

Katrin Lohmann, president, Volkswagen ADMT, says Austin was selected for the roll-out because the city "has a track record for embracing innovation and offers a conducive climate for the testing of autonomous vehicles".

The company is committed to continuing "an open and collaborative dialogue with the city and its diverse stakeholders", Lohmann says.

Detection, Monitoring & Machine Vision

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Rapid growth makes Texas an incubator for tolling innovation
    September 8, 2014
    As the IBTTA’s annual meeting and exhibition heads for Austin, Mitchell Beer, president of Smarter Shift, considers the role of Texas in the development of tolling strategies and technology. The State of Texas has always prided itself on being ‘larger than life’. From the sprawling geography of the state itself with its wide open skies, to its entrepreneurial ‘get-it-done’ attitude, Texas exudes an impatient restlessness that pushes businesses and public agencies to deliver faster, better results. More ofte
    Read More
  • LowCVP calls on truck operators and others to focus on cutting truck emissions
    October 22, 2015
    To coincide with its participation in the new Freight in the City event on 27 October, the LowCVP is calling on fleet operators, local authorities and others to join forces in building the market for heavy goods vehicles which cut carbon, reduce emissions and lower fuel costs. In earlier research, the LowCVP has identified three main opportunities for cutting emissions from HGVs which pointed to the need for specific interventions: independent testing to validate the effectiveness of retrofit technology
    Read More
  • Artificial intelligence systems for autonomous driving on the rise, says IHS
    June 17, 2016
    According to the latest report from market research firm HIS, Automotive Electronics Roadmap Report, as the complexity and penetration of in-vehicle infotainment systems and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) increases, there is a growing need for hardware and software solutions that support artificial intelligence, which uses electronics and software to emulate the functions of the human brain. In fact, unit shipments of artificial intelligence (AI) systems used in infotainment and ADAS systems are
    Read More
  • €10.9m grant kick-starts German AV project
    April 15, 2021
    Government-backed Kelride seeks to integrate autonomous vehicles into public transport
    Read More

Highlighted Content