Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Enters the Robotaxi Business

VWN, the commercial vehicle division of the Volkswagen Group, is preparing to deploy a fleet of autonomous electric vehicles of the ID Buzz AD type in Hamburg for initial customer trial runs. The public can look forward to a pilot operation with selected participants in the second half of 2023, before the service is integrated into regular transport by Volkswagen subsidiary Moia two years later. The groundbreaking concept of driverless mobility is expected to eventually shape the streetscape in metropolitan areas. The ID Buzz AD has successfully completed its early test phases, which began in Munich in 2021 and later in Hamburg without passengers. With the upcoming trial runs, which will still include a safety driver on board to intervene only in critical situations, VWN aims to gain insights into acceptance and user behavior under real conditions. Until the complete elimination of the safety driver by 2026, VWN plans to collect extensive feedback to optimize the service. The autonomous driving gains its intelligence through the technical expertise of Mobileye, an Intel subsidiary that provides the self-driving technology for the electric Bulli. Although a sale of the autonomous ID Buzz is not planned, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is aiming to offer affordable and accessible mobility solutions for everyone in urban centers by shifting its focus from vehicle manufacturing to mobility services. In addition to the autonomous mobility initiative, VWN has also seen commercial success. 2022 was marked by record numbers in sales, revenue, and profit, making it a highlight in the company's history. With a 25 percent increase in sales to nearly 410,000 units, a remarkable 29,000 ID Buzz vehicles were sold, accounting for a significant seven percent of electric vehicles. Revenue grew by a third to 15.3 billion euros, while the operating profit increased from 529 million to 873 million euros. Facing a subdued market outlook for 2024, VWN is relying on new models such as the VW Transporter developed together with Ford, which is set to be unveiled at the IAA Transportation in September, to bring fresh momentum to the product portfolio.