Volkswagen ID. Buzz robotaxis start testing on Los Angeles streets

The sunny streets of Los Angeles are looking a bit more like a science fiction movie this week. If you look closely at the traffic, you might spot a colorful, boxy van that looks like a ghost is driving it. These are the new Volkswagen ID. Buzz robotaxis. Volkswagen is now officially testing its fully self-driving electric cars in the United States.

Los Angeles is the perfect place for this experiment. The city is famous for its massive traffic jams and its love for cool cars. Now, instead of just people driving, we have computers taking the wheel. These EVs are part of the test program to see how well they can navigate the busy "City of Angels." For starters, there are about 100 of these vans on the road. Each one has a human safety driver sitting in the front, just in case something goes wrong, with the goal of letting the cars handle the driving all by themselves very soon.

Volkswagen is working on this project with a big company you probably know: Uber. The plan is to have these retro vans pick up passengers through the Uber app by the end of 2026. In just a few months, you might take your phone, tap a button, and an electric Buzz with no one in the driver's seat will show up to take you to the mall or the beach.

Self-driving VW ID. Buzz

The technology is quite impressive. Each Volkswagen ID. Buzz is equipped with a massive "brain" and a lot of "eyes." There is a suite of 27 different sensors, including 13 cameras, that watch everything around the car. There are also 9 LiDAR units, which use lasers to measure distances, and 5 radar units to track how fast other objects are moving. All this information goes into a powerful computer made by Mobileye.

A dedicated branch of Volkswagen called MOIA America is in charge of this project. MOIA wants to make sure these electric cars are super safe before they let regular people ride in them without a driver - a full "Level 4" automation.

Interior of the self-driving VW ID. Buzz

Inside the driverless Volkswagen ID. Buzz, things look a little different than a normal car. Since it is designed to be a taxi, the interior is built for passengers and their stuff. There are four seats in the back for people to sit comfortably. You might notice something missing in the front, though. The front passenger seat has been removed entirely. In its place, Volkswagen put a sturdy luggage rack, making it easy for riders to put their bags inside without having to open the trunk.

Only 100 vans are testing right now, but this is just the beginning. Volkswagen and Uber plan to put thousands of these EVs on the streets in several American cities over the next few years. They want to turn the Volkswagen ID. Buzz into a common sight. It is a big change from the old days when Volkswagen vans were known for being slow and driven by hippies.

Of course, driving in Los Angeles is never easy, and people struggle with it every day. It will be interesting to see if a computer can handle the aggressive lane changes and constant construction better than a person can. If these EVs can survive the 405 freeway during rush hour, they can probably survive anywhere. For now, the robots are still in "student driver" mode, but they are learning fast.

Via