Volkswagen’s autonomous driving subsidiary, MOIA, is set to test its production autonomous vehicle, the ID Buzz AD, for Uber’s robotaxi ridepooling project in Los Angeles. The ID Buzz AD features 27 sensors and ample room for four passengers. During a recent preview ride with Christian Senger, CEO of MOIA, the vehicle successfully navigated through traffic, recognizing cyclists and pedestrians, and made space for them.
MOIA claims its Level 4 self-driving system can operate at speeds up to 130 kph without GPS. The ID Buzz AD’s sensor suite includes 13 cameras, nine LiDARs, and five radars that pump out five gigabytes of data per second. This data is processed by MOIA’s onboard autonomous driving software.
Senger emphasized the vehicle’s ability to anticipate and respond to human behavior. He noted that the system is trained to understand what is relevant in the environment, including recognizing cats or children trying to cross the road.
Uber’s version of the ID Buzz will have additional features such as NFC keyless entry, start-stop buttons for passenger emergency use, and cabin cameras linked to speakers. The internal cameras also monitor behavior, preventing fights between rival soccer fans.
MOIA has been working on robotaxis for ten years. The company partnered with Intel-owned Mobileye four years ago, leading to the development of a skunkworks version of the driverless ID Buzz in 2023.
Waymo and Hyundai-linked robotaxi company Motional also have partnerships with Uber in North America. However, Uber’s version of MOIA’s driverless minivan will be the first to use the production autonomous vehicle for ridepooling services.
The Los Angeles trial is expected to start this year but has yet to receive any AV permits from California’s DMV. The service will operate on a go-anywhere shared taxi model, allowing users to book solo journeys or ridepool with other passengers.
Experts caution that robotaxis are still improving and that companies must ensure their technology is reliable before launching services. A recent incident in San Francisco highlighted the need for further testing and refinement of autonomous vehicle technology.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2025/07/01/ubers-vw-robotaxi-makes-space-for-cyclists-and-pedestrians-while-waymo-and-tesla-lag