MOIA and Uber Begin Autonomous Vehicle Tests in LA

Volkswagen's autonomous mobility subsidiary, MOIA America, and ride-hailing company Uber have begun on-road testing of approximately 10 autonomous ID. Buzz electric vehicles in Los Angeles, marking the initial phase of a planned commercial robotaxi service.

The testing, which started this week, involves vehicles equipped with human safety operators to ensure compliance with California's regulatory requirements. The companies aim to expand the fleet to more than 100 vehicles for validation purposes before launching paid rides with safety operators by the end of 2026. Fully driverless operations without human supervision are targeted for 2027. Los Angeles serves as the first U.S. city in a broader rollout planned across multiple markets over the next decade, with ambitions to deploy thousands of vehicles nationwide.

The partnership between MOIA America and Uber was announced in April 2025, following Volkswagen's shift to collaborate with Mobileye for the autonomous technology after discontinuing an earlier project with Argo AI. The ID. Buzz AD variant features a suite of 27 sensors, including 13 cameras, nine LiDAR units, and five radars, all processed by a Mobileye computer...