German automaker Volkswagen has chosen the Lone Star State as the place to debut its autonomous vehicles testing program.
Volkswagen will launch the testing program in Austin for the initial trial run but plans to expand testing operations to other U.S. cities over the coming years, the company announced in a news release.
Austin’s dynamic and innovative culture made it an ideal candidate for Volkswagen autonomous vehicle testing, according to Katrin Lohmann, president of Volkswagen ADMT, a subsidiary devoted to its autonomous driving vehicle program.
“We selected Austin as the first U.S. hub, as the city has a track record for embracing innovation and offers a conducive climate for the testing of autonomous vehicles,” Lohmann said in the release.
Volkswagen’s testing program will begin with two autonomous vehicles before increasing to 10 after about three years. Volkswagen will begin the testing program with its branded ID. Buzz electric vans, which have been fully equipped with the company’s autonomous-driving technology.
The technology includes cameras, radar, and lidar, among other tech developed by Mobileye in partnership with the Volkswagen Group, Fox Business reported.
After extensive testing in the Austin metro, Volkswagen said it plans to expand testing operations to at least four additional U.S. cities.
Expanding Volkswagen’s autonomous vehicle program to the U.S. marks an important milestone for the automotive manufacturer, according to Pablo Di Si, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America.
“In the future, we will tap into rising demand for new mobility services, and with our iconic ID. Buzz, we will also offer a truly captivating product to support transportation services American consumers can rely upon and trust,” he said.
Volkswagen plans to launch the ID. Buzz by 2024 and the rest of its self-driving fleet by 2026, per Fox. In the meantime, the automaker has plenty to get done before testing is complete. To ensure no serious accidents arise from Volkswagen’s initial testing phase, the company says all testing will be done with a supervising human driver.
“The ID. Buzz and the USA – it’s a perfect match!” said Volkswagen in a recent news release. “The VW bus has a long history in the USA and enjoys real cult status.”