uber to deploy volkswagen’s autonomous electric vans in the US

volkswagen’s fully autonomous electric vans to operate on uber

Uber announces plans to roll out thousands of Volkswagen’s fully autonomous electric vans across several US markets over the next decade. The news follows after Volkswagen ADMT, which is Volkswagen Group of America Inc.’s autonomous mobility subsidiary, and Uber Technologies have partnered for the project. The first commercial deployment is expected in 2026, with Los Angeles as the first city of deployment. Before the rollout, Uber’s testing of Volkswagen’s fully autonomous electric vans begins later in 2025.

During the testing and early launch phases, the team monitors the vehicles with human safety operators onboard. Then, each operation is subject to regulatory approvals. After that, the fleet of thousands of ID. Buzz AD vehicles starts operating on Uber’s ride-hailing platform. The integration allows users to book autonomous rides through the existing Uber app. Volkswagen’s manufacturing teams are to provide support to the production of vehicles at scale, while MOIA’s technology, a mobility brand under Volkswagen AG, enables system operations and fleet management.

all images courtesy of Moia, Uber and Volkswagen

camera sensors placed around the vans to detect surroundings

On the Uber app, users can see Volkswagen’s fully autonomous electric vans alongside the platform’s current human-driven vehicles. Design-wise, these electric vehicles take after the car manufacturer’s ID. Buzz model, modified with autonomous driving capabilities. It’s MOIA, a mobility brand under Volkswagen AG, that combines the vehicle’s hardware with a software system. The autonomous driving system then includes lidar, radar, and camera sensors placed around the vehicle to detect objects and surroundings, as well as vehicle control modules.

The companies first host vehicle testing before the deployment. Data gathered during the initial phase helps refine route planning, traffic management, and rider pickup and drop-off logistics. The companies add that the collaboration represents Volkswagen’s first deployment of autonomous vehicles for ride-hailing operations across the US. They also plan to expand the service to additional U.S. cities following the Los Angeles launch, but future deployments still depend on the technical performance, safety validation, and regulatory conditions of the autonomous vans.

Uber to roll out thousands of Volkswagen’s fully autonomous electric vans across the US