Autonomous VW ID. Buzz On The Way, Might Not Have Steering Wheel

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Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will build an autonomous version of the ID. Buzz who will serve as a robotaxi and delivery vehicle. The division will launch the model as soon as 2025.

“We are still in the concept stage, not ready yet. We will need to take a big leap and not just bring ID Buzz forward,” said Carsten Intra, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles leader, according to European Automotive News.

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Intra said the company has yet to make a decision on what autonomous ID is. Buzz will have the wheel. The interior of the van will have modified seating arrangements to create more space for passengers and their luggage.

The first use of autonomous ID. Buzz will be robotaxi operating in Hamburg, Germany, from 2025. The company wants to expand the program to 50 cities in Europe and North America by 2030. VW may partner with Uber and Lyft to run these vehicles in the US, but the automaker wants to start its own company. to manage it in Europe, according to European Automotive News.

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VW Commercial Vehicles presents the concept for autonomous ID. Buzz in 2021. The division is developing a model with Argo AI to match a set of sensors and cameras for self-driving vans. The equipment includes a lidar array protruding from the roof, six smaller lidar units and 11 radar pins. This technology allows the prototype to detect objects that are more than 400 meters (1,300 ft) ahead.

Regular version of ID. The Buzz will arrive in Europe later in 2022. The Buzz will launch with a single electric motor producing 201 horsepower (154 kilowatts) and 229 pound-feet (310 Newton-meters). The battery capacity will be 82.0 kilowatt-hours gross (77.0 kWh net). Estimated range is not yet available.

Several more variants are on the way. There will be an entry-level Pure class with 62 kWh gross (58 kWh) and five seats. At the other end of the spectrum, the dual motor version will provide all-wheel drive and possibly around 300 hp (224 kW).

The United States will have to wait until 2024 to get ID. buzzing. It will be a long wheelbase version with three rows of seating. The extra length between the axles will allow for a larger battery pack that is thought to have a capacity of 111 kWh.