GoKawiilPrepare for a new robotaxi to hit the road. Uber and Volkswagen's self-driving division have started validation testing on the streets of Los Angeles for their ID Buzz vehicle, the companies said Wednesday. It's a critical step in their plan to open up to riders in the coming months.
The autonomous minivans will first navigate the streets of LA with human operators onboard to supervise. The companies plan to launch their robotaxi service on the Uber app later this year and expand to more cities over the next decade.
MOIA America, the name of the Volkswagen Group company that's developing autonomous vehicle technology, plans to scale the self-driving fleet to more than 100 ID Buzz vehicles during the test period. MOIA America and Uber have a joint facility in Los Angeles "for day-to-day fleet operations," the companies said in a statement. Eventually, they plan to build up to a fleet of "thousands of autonomous ID Buzz vehicles, supporting a shared goal to introduce driverless ride-hailing services together in multiple US markets."
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Uber and Volkswagen Group announced their partnership in April 2025. Uber has teamed up with more than two dozen AV companies, including Waymo, Nuro, Avride and May Mobility. Ride-hailing competitor Lyft also collaborates with Waymo and May Mobility, as well as a handful of other AV companies like Tensor and Benteler Mobility. Riders in certain cities can -- or will soon be able to -- summon autonomous rides directly from Uber's and Lyft's apps, which they likely already have on their phones.
"Los Angeles is a natural market to introduce MOIA's autonomous vehicles for ride experiences, given its long history of shaping car culture and embracing new mobility technologies," Paul DeLong, president of commercialization at MOIA America, said in a statement. "Together with Uber, we're bringing MOIA's autonomous vehicles and expertise onto a platform millions of riders already use and trust."
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In May, Uber and Volkswagen Group said they would also launch shared autonomous rides, so you can hop in a robotaxi with strangers to save some money. It's a callback to the days when Uber Pool was a popular choice for getting the cheapest ride around town -- before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down that option.
Shared rides are once again available on the Uber app, though their heyday seems to have passed -- which makes shared autonomous rides an interesting proposition. The move could help to assuage concerns about self-driving cars adding to traffic congestion as they roam streets without passengers. It could also help Uber and Volkswagen get as much money out of each ride as possible, even if individual passengers are paying less.