Volkswagen will start testing self-driving cars in Austin as it moves on from Argo AI

Volkswagen will start testing self-driving cars in Austin as it moves on from Argo AI


Volkswagen Group of America (VWGoA) starting its first autonomous vehicle test program in Austin beginning in July 2023.

Courtesy: Vokswagen AG

Volkswagen said Thursday that it will begin testing self-driving electric vehicles in Austin, Texas, later this month.

The German auto giant said it will deploy about 10 of its ID Buzz electric vans equipped with autonomous driving systems developed with Mobileye by the end of 2023. The first two of those vans are already in the U.S. and will begin testing before the end of July, it said.

The self-driving ID Buzz vans are equipped with lidar, radar and camera systems. The vehicles are “geofenced,” meaning they will operate only in specific areas of the city that have been carefully mapped, Volkswagen said.

For now, all of its self-driving vehicles will have human safety drivers on board while testing.

“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,” said Katrin Lohmann, the executive leading Volkswagen’s self-driving efforts in the U.S.

Lohmann said that the company expects to expand its Austin fleet and add testing operations in at least four more U.S. cities over the next three years.

Volkswagen Group of America (VWGoA) starting its first autonomous vehicle test program in Austin beginning in July 2023.

Courtesy: Vokswagen AG

The move is the latest in a series of steps the auto giant has taken to revamp its self-driving strategy in recent months, including a deeper partnership with Mobileye and new investments in MOIA, its Europe-based ride-sharing service.

While the company has been working toward a robotaxi service in Europe, it isn’t planning a ride-sharing service of its own in the U.S. as of now. Instead, it plans to offer autonomous ID Buzz vans and fleet management capabilities to other businesses offering ride-sharing or delivery services.

Along with Ford Motor, Volkswagen was an investor in the now-defunct Pittsburgh-based self-driving startup Argo AI. For a while, Argo was considered a leader in the race to develop fully autonomous vehicles – but Ford and Volkswagen decided to wind down the company in October of 2022, citing spiraling costs and differences around strategy.

Ford in March launched a new subsidiary, called Latitude AI, to expand on its BlueCruise hands-free highway driving system. That unit includes about 550 employees who previously worked for Argo AI.

Volkswagen has also hired some of Argo AI’s former employees for its U.S. self-driving effort, it said.

Volkswagen Group of America (VWGoA) starting its first autonomous vehicle test program in Austin beginning in July 2023.

Courtesy: Vokswagen AG



Source

Business class+? Delta says segmentation is coming to high-end cabins
Business

Business class+? Delta says segmentation is coming to high-end cabins

Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images Delta Air Lines is studying new types of airplane tickets — this time in the premium cabins at the front of the plane. Airlines spent years slicing up their coach cabins, from extra legroom seats to bare-bones basic economy fares that don’t allow changes or include a seat assignment. […]

Read More
Trump’s tariffs on Brazil could make your coffee even more expensive
Business

Trump’s tariffs on Brazil could make your coffee even more expensive

President Donald Trump’s proposed 50% tariff on Brazilian imports is bad news for coffee drinkers. Brazil, the largest U.S. supplier of green coffee beans, accounts for about a third of the country’s total supply, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Coffee beans need to grow in a warm, tropical climate, making Hawaii […]

Read More
Space startup Varda raises 7 million in funding to make drugs in orbit
Business

Space startup Varda raises $187 million in funding to make drugs in orbit

Pavlo Gonchar | Lightrocket | Getty Images Space startup Varda announced on Thursday that it has raised $187 million in Series C funding, led by venture capital firms Natural Capital and Shrug Capital, to continue advancing drug manufacturing in space. The latest round included participation from Peter Thiel, Lux Capital, Khosla Ventures and Caffeinated Capital. […]

Read More