In Germany, there are many people who cannot manage with a car, especially in the country, where public transport networks can have patches, even no one. Electric, or infection in E, vehicles will solve the transportation problem on their own. Personally owned electric cars cannot run on oil, but they still consume resources, take place, need roads and parking AEAs.
But a lot can be resolved if people were able to use robot taxis. For years, countries such as the United States and China have BEE pilot projects, which have self-driving car and drillless vans.
Thesis vehicles are tested legs in Germany, but no approval has yet been issued BEE for the so-called level 4 system-full autonomous cars, with no driver on the wheel. The German Federal Transport Authority (KBA) says that it is legally possible, as a whole in Germany and in the European Union, but now the general introduction of these vehicles still still leads a long way.
Robotaxis from 2026 by VW
But now VW has moved forward with a driverless e-van: The ID. Buzz Ad (“Autonomous Driving”), a level 4 vehicle that drives set routes. Europe’s largest car manufacturer presented the production version of the Self-Driving Electric Van in Hamburg on 17 June. It is scheduled to go on the road in 2026. Initially, it will be deployed in Hamburg and Los Angeles, but it is intended to roll it.
“It is certainly not established as a small range of production,” says Christian Keinon, a member of the Board of Management of VW Commercial Vehicles, “Wans want to be built in large numbers. The Hanover VW factory is ready to produce more than 10,000 commercial vehicles. “We believe that we can be the leading suppliers in Europe,” Sinner says.
VW already has a buyer, Uber Taxi Services Company. Both firms signed for a agreement for cooperation in the US in April. According to Sangagar, Uber has planned to buy up to 10,000 VW e-vans in the next ten years.
Tesla overtaking
VW has jumped ahead of Tesla with his ID. Buzz advertising presentation. Earlier this month, Elon Musk “Tentley” announced on 22 June – on this Sunday – as a date for his own robotaxi’s lai – model Y SUV -based on the model Y SUV, but it is still unconfirmed. “We are getting super parabonoids about security, so the date may be shifted,” Musk said at her social media platform, X at that time.
Tesla’s early plans are for only 10 models Y SUVs to work as a public robotaxis in an area of Austin, Texas, the city where Tesla is headquartered. But, as usual, musk is thinking great. In an interview with US Broadcaster CBS, he announced that there would be some 1,000 Tesla robotaxis on the road within months, and hundreds thousands by the end of 2026.
In May, many American cities would be approved for autonomous driving for private Tesla owners before the end of the year. This promise is not new: Back in 2017, he promised that this work would be active within two years.
Waymo: Google Robotaxis Miles
Right now, the roads are ahead when Google Affiliate Waymo arrives for autonomous driving. Vemo’s driverless robotaxis are already on the road in many American cities, traveling over 250,000 payments with passengers every week. Vehicles are mostly converted into electric cars made by Jaguar. Vemo announced in May that it planned to double the number of vehicles by the end of 2026.
Tech veteran Amazon is therefore running for the emerging market in autonomous driving. Amazon’s robotaxi company Zoox plans to install cars on the road without steering wheels or paddles in Las Vegas and San Francisco, with a place for four passengers.
Competition from china
Hence China is looking to solve its transport problems through autonomous driving. Google rival Baidu runs a fleet of around 1,000 Apollo Go Robotaxis, which completes more than 1.4 million trips in the first quarter of this year. The Chinese company pony.ai has a fleet of over 300 robotaxis, and it wants to give it sunlight for more than 3,000 by the end of next year. Veride, meanwhile, there are about 400 vehicles.
Goldman Sachs estimates that by 2030 more than 10 Chinese cities will have about half million robotaxis. In China, the question is no longer whether autonomous driving is possible, but how the companies will make commercial use of the rapid development of the region.
Projects for the future are very promising. The investment bank keeps the total sales capacity of the Chinese Robotaxi sector at about 54 million dollars (€ 47 million) this year, but expects the figure that the figure will increase from 2035 to about $ 47 billion.
VW focuses on fleet, transport associations
The new e-van of VW is not aimed at the purpose of a private customer. Instead, this business expects to supply customers, fleet operators and transport associations, with a package to include total software solutions, a booking app, fleet management and mainly. For example, in Hamburg, the company has established cooperation with the local transport association, HVV. Therefore, the announcement of intentions has been agreed with Berlin Transport Authority, BVG.
VW hopes to receive approval to operate driverless cars at the end of 2026 in Europe and America. This would mean that they need a safety driver, currently an essential requirement. VW says this will be the first search approval for level 4 autonomous driving in Europe.
Although there is a grip. VW’s shines do not expect that the top dog of Germany’s auto industry is not expected to earn at least before earlier to earn any money. In the long run, however, he suggests that autonomous driving is an attractive area of the future, a one that promises to be much more profitable than the traditional motor vehicle industry. “This is our big opportunity for the VW group to establish a future opportunity,” hey says.
Actually the price has not been announced yet, but ID. Buzz advertisement is unlikely to be cheap. According to Keinon, buyers will have to pay a small six-stake amount (in euro) through the vehicle.
Public money requires
This means that it is going to be expensive for transport companies. The Association of German Transport Companies or VDVs, to establish the domination of the country in this market, are calling to launch a market supported by nationally coordinated strategy of long -term financing and public funding.
The current government’s coalition agreement announced: “Germany is to become a leading market for autonomous driving, development and co-owned model sectors with federal states.” From the VDV comments to the INGO Wortmann of the Pilot Project to the Standrad operating process requires a start-up funding of about € 3 billion to take this idea.
This article was the original published in German.
