Volkswagen debuts autonomous ID. Buzz at IAA Munich

The upcoming Volkswagen ID. Buzz van has spawned an autonomous variant, making its debut at this year's IAA Mobility Show in Munich.

Based on the all-electric van, the ID. Buzz AD (stands for Autonomous Driving) was developed by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Argo AI – the latter an autonomous technology specialist which is part-owned by Volkswagen and Ford at 40 per cent each.

Previewing its production model, which will be available from 2025, the ID. Buzz AD features a roof-mounted Lidar sensor that can detect objects from more than 400 metres away – as its Geiger-mode technology can pick up a single photon of light, allowing it to see dark vehicles even at night.

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Head of autonomous driving at VW Commercial Vehicles, Christian Senger, said the ID. Buzz AD is undergoing testing across Germany and the United States ahead of its debut as the vehicle for a fully-autonomous shuttle service in Hamburg from 2025.

“We bring our expertise to the co-operation with Argo AI and VWCV, and will develop an autonomous mobility service in addition to our regular service," said Senger.

"Cities all over the world want to make their traffic more efficient and more climate-friendly.

"Autonomous ride-pooling improves urban mobility, increases road safety and make cities more attractive. Hamburg will be the first city to offer it."

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The move to autonomous fleet vehicles is a part of Volkswagen's wider push towards electric vehicles by 2035 with a new electric platform set to be introduced in the coming years – potentially underpinning more than 40 million vehicles throughout its life cycle.

Volkswagen has confirmed the ID. Buzz will be based on its MEB platform, which currently underpins the ID.3 and ID.4 – two EV models which are currently available in Europe, but not slated for an Australian debut.