Volkswagen and Uber Begin Testing Autonomous ID. Buzz Fleet in Los Angeles, Targeting Commercial Robotaxi Service by Year-End
Volkswagen subsidiary MOIA America and Uber begin testing autonomous ID. Buzz minivans in Los Angeles, targeting commercial robotaxi service by late 2026 and fully driverless operations with 500-plus vehicles by mid-2027.
Overview
Volkswagen’s U.S. autonomous driving subsidiary, MOIA America, and ride-hailing giant Uber have begun on-road testing of self-driving ID. Buzz electric minivans in Los Angeles, the companies announced on April 8, 2026. The deployment marks the first public testing phase of a partnership forged in April 2025, with commercial rides on the Uber platform targeted for late 2026 and fully driverless operations planned for 2027.
Fleet and Technology
Approximately 10 autonomous ID. Buzz vehicles are currently undergoing validation testing on Los Angeles streets, with safety operators present in every vehicle, according to The Next Web. Each minivan is equipped with a 27-sensor suite comprising 13 cameras, nine LiDAR units, and five radars, with all sensor data processed by a Mobileye Drive platform computer, per the same report.
The ID. Buzz robotaxi seats up to six passengers and features powered sliding doors, according to The Next Web. The vehicles are manufactured at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ plant in Hanover, Germany. The standard consumer version of the ID. Buzz offers up to 234 miles of range per charge, though it is unclear whether the autonomous variant’s additional hardware affects that figure, as noted by Engadget.
Deployment Timeline
MOIA America plans to scale the Los Angeles fleet to more than 100 vehicles with on-board safety operators by the time commercial service opens at the end of 2026, according to The Next Web. The companies are targeting fully driverless service — without human operators aboard — in 2027, with a goal of more than 500 autonomous vehicles operating in Los Angeles by the third quarter of that year, per the same report.
The two companies have established a jointly owned operations building in Los Angeles to oversee day-to-day fleet management, according to Engadget. MOIA America CEO Paul DeLong said Los Angeles is “a natural market” for the service, “given its long history of shaping car culture,” as quoted by The Next Web.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the partnership reflects “both companies’ shared dedication to building the future of transportation,” according to The Next Web.
Regulatory Path
Before commercial service can begin, MOIA America must secure a commercial deployment permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles and a ride-hailing permit from the California Public Utilities Commission, according to TechCrunch. TechCrunch noted that the company “still has a long and winding regulatory road” ahead, though the article did not specify an expected timeline for obtaining these permits.
Competitive Context
The Los Angeles launch places the MOIA-Uber partnership in direct competition with several established autonomous driving operations. Uber already offers autonomous rides through partnerships with Waymo in Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta, as well as with Avride in Dallas, according to Engadget. Tesla’s Cybercab robotaxi service is currently operating in Austin with plans to expand to additional U.S. cities.
The ID. Buzz’s larger passenger capacity — seating up to six — differentiates it from most competing robotaxis and could position the service for group rides and pooled trips, according to Engadget.
What Remains Unclear
Several details remain undisclosed. Financial terms of the partnership, including how revenue will be split between Uber and MOIA America, have not been made public. The specific neighborhoods or corridors where testing is currently taking place in Los Angeles have not been identified. The companies have stated ambitions to deploy “thousands” of autonomous ID. Buzz vehicles across multiple U.S. cities over the next decade, according to Engadget, but no additional cities have been named.
The Mobileye Drive platform represents a shift from the previous technology arrangement: Volkswagen’s original autonomous driving partner was Argo AI, which shut down in October 2022. The transition to Mobileye’s system and its performance benchmarks in real-world Los Angeles traffic conditions remain to be demonstrated at scale.