Volkswagen and Argo AI to start testing new autonomous vehicle 'ID Buzz'

All-electric ID. BUZZ shall be the first vehicle in the Volkswagen Group to also drive autonomously.

With aim of launching in 2025, Volkswagen will now start testing its new autonomous vehicles in Germany.

The company, partnered with Argo AI, has been developing the ID Buzz van, an electric, self-driving vehicle means for micro-transit and commercial delivery operations.

Argo AI is a Pittsburgh-based startup and has been backed by Volkswagen and Ford, an alliance that was first announced back in 2019. Argo has already been testing its autonomous vehicles with Ford back in the US and the company has stated that the ID Buzz will use the company’s fifth generation technology.

“We’re building our technology and partnering with Volkswagen in a way that really sets us apart from what others are doing,” Bryan Salesky, Founder and CEO of Argo AI said.

“We think it really puts us in a position to deliver a safe, smart, and scalable product to deliver on the promise of autonomous driving,” he added.

The two companies have already developed a prototype inside the body of a Volkswagen T6 minivan. It uses a host of sensors such as LIDAR, radar, cameras and even Argo AI’s AV Technology. All of this allows for the minivan to operate at both low and high speeds.

Volkswagen plans to roll out the new vehicle as part of the company’s ride-sharing fleet, Moia, that has already been operating with electric vehicles since 2017.