In Los Angeles, Volkswagen And Uber Are Testing Driverless Minibuses

The companies Volkswagen and Uber have started testing autonomous minibuses in Los Angeles as part of preparations for the launch of the robotaxi service planned by the end of 2026.

The tests in the coming weeks will include about 10 autonomous Volkswagen minibuses, with a capacity of four passengers. It is a project led by Volkswagen’s American subsidiary Moya (MOIA America), which specializes in autonomous mobility, Tex Crunch reports. Last year, the two companies announced plans to introduce a commercial robotaxi service in several cities in the United States over the next decade, with Los Angeles being the first on the list.

In the initial phase, the vehicles will include a safety operator, while fully autonomous driverless rides are expected from 2027. “Volkswagen” plans to gradually expand the fleet to more than 100 vehicles.

Uber, meanwhile, is expanding partnerships in the field of autonomous driving and working with more than 25 companies, including Waymo in the United States, as well as partners in Europe and the Middle East. The Croatian startup Vern (Verne), owned by the Croatian Rimac Group, launched the first commercial robotaxi service in Europe yesterday in Zagreb, in cooperation with Uber and the Chinese company Pony (Pony.ai).

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