Volkswagen is testing self-driving cars in the US — Siècle Digital

Volkswagen has announced that it will begin testing fully autonomous electric vehicles in Austin, Texas in early July. The German conglomerate has accelerated with the aim of starting commercial service by 2026.

Volkswagen expects to roll out self-driving vehicles in three more US cities

In 2019, Volkswagen conducted its first self-driving vehicle tests in Hamburg. Over a distance of three kilometres, the e-Golfs, electric city cars, moved unaided across the asphalt. This time, ten IDs. Buzz, electric vans like the brand’s popular Combis, should achieve the same performance on the streets of Austin, Texas. ” We are pleased to offer our signature vehicles. Bustle on American roads Pablo de C, CEO of Volkswagen in America, was delighted.

Developed by Mobiley, an Intel subsidiary that specializes in autonomous driving, the vans are equipped with lidar, radar and camera systems. By the end of July, two planned vehicles will begin testing. The company notes that the vans will be “ Earth fence » Thus one can only go to certain parts of the city. While Volkswagen has not yet secured the right to drive without drivers, ID.Buzz will have people behind the wheel to ensure the safety of passengers and city dwellers in case of danger.

Within the next three years, autonomous automobiles will be tested in at least four US cities, says Katrin Lohmann, the group’s head of autonomous driving in the US. ” We chose Austin as our first US hub because the city has a proven track record of innovation and a favorable climate for testing autonomous vehicles. She clarified.

By 2026, Volkswagen wants to launch a driverless commercial service in the Texas capital. The group also aims to supply its cars to other mobility and transport companies. To achieve this, he had to recruit former employees of the Argo AI start-up.

Co-founded by Ford and Volkswagen in 2016, the start-up specialized in this field closed its doors last October. The two behemoths outlined different strategies and, above all, wanted to stop what looked like financial hemorrhaging. Ford used the opportunity to bring more than 550 employees back from the dysfunctional startup. Blue Cruise announced in March that it was forming a new subsidiary called Latitude AI to develop a hands-free driving system on the highway.