After several years of testing, the Volkswagen Group via its software subsidiary MOIA has announced that the ID Buzz AD, the autonomous driving version of its all-electric update to the classic VW Bus, is going into full production. The AD version sports a longer wheelbase and a higher roofline than its mere human-driven sibling, which helps it to fit in the 13 cameras, nine LiDARs, and five radars that will (hopefully) allow the car to drive without crashing into anybody. These are intended for large-fleet customers providing taxi services, either ones run by local governments or private companies.
MOIA has already lined up its first customer, the German city of Hamburg, which will provide the automated Buzz as a public transit option alongside traditional bus and subway services. If all goes well, after Hamburg MOIA “will bring sustainable, autonomous mobility to large-scale deployment in Europe and the U.S.,” according to VW Group CEO Oliver Blume. Down the road, VW has also signed an agreement for rideshare juggernaut Uber to use the ID Buzz AD across America, starting with Los Angeles in 2026.
Bringing German engineering to Level 4 autonomous driving
The ID Buzz AD is the first vehicle in Germany to reach SAE International’s threshold for Level 4 autonomous driving, meaning that the car can drive itself, with no need for a driver behind the wheel, within designated areas. This is the same level of autonomy as Google sister company Waymo provides for its Jaguar I-Pace fleet across the United States. Germany requires vehicles at this level to meet additional safety standards, such as with redundant braking and batteries, so presumably that extended wheelbase is helping fit some of that in.
MOIA also provides the full suite of services necessary to reach Level 4, including the self-driving software stack itself, but also remote operation and assistance if the car does something stupid like, say, get stuck in a drive-through. That makes the ID Buzz AD more of a holistic turnkey solution for mobility needs, rather than just “a car.” Of course, this market is already drawing a lot of competition: Tesla claims it will be launching a robotaxi service with its Model Y within weeks, and Waymo is already serving 250,000 trips per week, per CNBC. Those are both currently focused on America, though, giving VW Group a bit of breathing room in its native Europe.
More bus than SUV
Where Waymo and Tesla offer to have an SUV pick you up all by itself, the ID Buzz AD seems to be aiming somewhere between a minivan and a short bus for its experience. The spacious cabin allows for legroom normally reserved for first-class flights, and they’ve even removed the front-row passenger seat to make way for a luggage rack. MOIA may have figured that the Buzz was never going to offer the more premium environment of a Jag or a Tesla, and so tacked the other direction and went for functionality and pure room.
That, in turn, maps to the VW Group’s hope to get the platform adopted by local governments for public transit, not just private sector taxi services. No bells or whistles to the actual passenger experience, just something to get you from Point A to Point B without being too cramped. Think airport shuttle, not luxury. Even here, though, VW may soon have competition from Waymo in the form of its partnership with Zeekr. The two companies are testing an automated version of a minivan with ample space, which would put it directly up against the Buzz.
