Production Version of the VW ID.Buzz AD Autonomous Van Unveiled

MOIA unveils the production version of the Volkswagen ID.Buzz AD autonomous van ahead of its European & US debut.

Volkswagen’s mobility-focused sub-brand MOIA has unveiled the production version of its first autonomous electric van, the Volkswagen ID.Buzz AD (‘AD’ stands for Autonomous Driving). This supposed self-driving electric van will be heading to Europe and the US, featuring Level 4 self-driving technology courtesy of Intel’s Mobileye.

Coincidentally or not, this announcement was made days ahead of the real-world trial operations for the Tesla Robotaxi. But unlike Robotaxi, MOIA will primarily target corporate customers and mobility providers.

Compared to the pre-production version, this production-ready ID.Buzz AD features some design changes, with the most notable being its extended wheelbase and a raised roof for better practicality and convenience. MOIA also added that the van has an “intuitive boarding via smartphone,” which implies that passengers are required to use their device to unlock the vehicle.

On-board, the ID.Buzz AD features a pretty typical commercial passenger van layout, albeit featuring some unique design touches and tons of conveniences. Key highlights include wood-like flooring, large grab handles to help passengers jump in and out, SOS and Start/Stop buttons at all rows of seats, dedicated luggage compartments at the front passenger seats, and an on-board AI system to “ensure comfort and safety.”

Interestingly, the production model still retains a driver’s cockpit setup, featuring a steering wheel and a driver’s seat, thus suggesting that it may accommodate a safety driver.

Diving deep into its autonomous driving system, MOIA said the production ID.Buzz AD has a total of 27 sensors, including 13 cameras, nine LiDARs, and five radars. The firm claims these sensors are enough to give the ID.Buzz AD a “comprehensive, redundant 360-degree view of its surroundings.” And as mentioned above, these sensors are hooked to Mobileye's self-driving system along with MOIA’s proprietary Autonomous Driving Mobility as a Service (AD MaaS) Ecosystem Platform.

While not many specifics were given on these systems, MOIA claims that it will offer public and private mobility providers a “turnkey package to launch autonomous services quickly, safely, and at scale,” with potential clientele ranging from fleet companies to even local governments and city councils.

With the production version of the VW ID.Buzz AD now being shown, VW Group CEO Oliver Blume said that the rollout for this self-driving EV van will commence later next year, pending approval. Besides Europe, the ID.Buzz AD will also be offered in the US as part of VW Group’s ambition to become a “global technology driver in the automotive industry.”