Volkswagen is now the first vehicle manufacturer to develop a Level 4 autonomous driving (AD) service vehicle for large-scale production.
Level 4 AD means that the car can independently handle the majority of driving situations in a defined area, such as a city. It is also capable of driving on its own, without passengers.
Following an extensive pilot phase in the US and Germany, the German automaker entered into an agreement with the tech company Mobileye. Mobileye will develop and supply software, hardware components, and digital maps for the VW ID. Buzz AD.
“We are developing the first fully autonomous large-scale production vehicle, and Mobileye brings its digital driver on board,” says Christian Senger, a management board member at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
The main part of the agreement between Volkswagen and Mobileye covers the delivery and use of a self-driving system (SDS), which has been under development for autonomous driving since 2021.
The ID. Buzz AD has 13 cameras, two independent computers, 9 lidar units and 5 radar units, each capable of producing 360-degree surroundings. A constant cloud connection provides autonomous vehicles with swarm data from other road users about the traffic situation and updates to the three-dimensional maps.
As per Business Wire, the aim of the Volkswagen ADMT (Autonomous Driving Mobility & Transport) is to develop a fully electric autonomous ID. Buzz AD for the use in mobility and transport services from 2026.
Volkswagen Group of America is leading the strategy and business development in the US. Its subsidiary, Volkswagen ADMT (that stands for Autonomous Driving Mobility & Transport), supports the AD program rollout with teams in Belmont, California, and Austin.
