Volkswagen CEO takes ID. Buzz for first autonomous spin in Munich

A self-driving Volkswagen AG minibus navigated real traffic conditions for the first time as the carmaker takes its autonomous-driving technology to public roads.

The Volkswagen ID Buzz electric bus during the 2022 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) in New York, U.S., (Bloomberg)

A self-driving Volkswagen AG minibus navigated real traffic conditions in Germany for the first time as Europe's biggest carmaker takes its autonomous-driving technology to public roads amid a push to lead on software.

VW Chief Executive Officer Herbert Diess sat in the back seat of an ID. Buzz prototype fitted with autonomous-driving tech as it zipped through downtown Munich this month. An electric iteration of VW's iconic hippie-era van, the vehicle uses lidar and radar sensors as well as cameras for navigation, mapping and route planning.

VW is cooperating on the project with Ford Motor Co.-backed autonomous-driving startup Argo AI. The goal is to introduce a self-driving ride-pooling service in Hamburg by 2025 and eventually provide ride hailing and goods delivery services in Europe and the U.S.

“We want to be part of the public transport system in the future,” Christian Senger, responsible for autonomous driving at VW's commercial vehicles unit, said in a video posted about the ride. “We believe that robot mobility will be even safer than a human can be in public transport.”