Volkswagen and Uber are collaborating to deploy fleets of thousands of fully electric robots.
ID Buzz Ad Minivans will launch in “multiple” U.S. markets for the next decade, starting in Los Angeles next year, the two companies said in a press release on Thursday. The companies said testing is expected to begin later this year.
However, initially, the vehicle will not be completely autonomous. Human operators will join in “help refine technology and ensure safety”, the companies said in a joint statement.
The fleet will be equipped with sensors and software from Moia, a subsidiary of Volkswagen’s autonomous mobile.
Before the promotion begins, the company will need to obtain appropriate licenses and licensing from California.
The collaboration marks a major step in Uber’s self-driving car ambitions and Volkswagen’s push to commercialize its self-driving platform. This is also when more autonomous taxis are driving on the road. Waymo, the driverless division of Google's parent company Alphabet, continues to expand into new cities from Austin to Tokyo.
Robotaxis' comeback
According to Michael Ramsey, an analyst at research firm Gartner, the concept of Robotaxis is starting to make a comeback.
“If you would have extended your mind 10 years ago, many companies would be very optimistic about this technology by 2020,” he told CNET. “It obviously didn’t happen, but now this technology has improved and the prices have dropped a lot. I hope we start seeing real commercialization in the next year or two.”
Meanwhile, Tesla is also working on robots and the so-called Robovan, a larger self-driving car designed to transport up to 20 passengers or carry cargo. Earlier this week, Tesla tweeted that it recently completed more than 1,500 trips and 15,000 miles using its complete self-driving car. Its supervised ride service has already provided live streams to select staff in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area. The company said on Tuesday's revenue call that it plans to expand its services to the public in Austin as early as June.
It is not clear which other markets of Volkswagen and Uber are targeting. Both companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
