VW Plans to Use Its Autonomous Driving Tech for Ride-Pooling
Hannah DeWitt
· 3 min read
As
electric vehicles
(EVs) become more mainstream, car manufacturers have begun turning their attention to autonomous driving. Many vehicles now have driver-assist features that allow the car to maneuver itself under certain conditions, but they still require a driver ready to take control.Volkswagen (VW) is trying to improve that technology. According to
Autoweek
, they’re working to create a fleet of electric, autonomous ride-pool vehicles to join their manually-driven EVs at MOIA, their ride-pool company.
What is MOIA?
VW’s ride-pooling company MOIA is already in action and has been driving folks around Europe since 2016. Since then, they’ve become the largest ride-pool fleet in Europe, and they don’t want to stop there.
Though the term “ride-pool” isn’t necessarily a familiar one in the U.S., its concept is similar to ride-hailing services available here. You can call one of MOIA’s cars through an app, and the car will pick you up and drop you off at your destination. Just like carpooling, you share the ride with other people.
The fleet is made up of the ID. Buzz, an electric van that VW also sells outside of this project. This microbus version of their iconic van has a 111-kWh battery that puts out 369 horsepower and offers 270 miles in range. Though they’re currently meant to be driven by people, VW has been working with Argo AI and experts at MOIA to create a Level 4, fully autonomous version.
Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
No spam · No long forms · No fees
How will VW’s autonomous vehicles work?
MORE: A German Startup Has a Different Approach to Self-Driving Cars
VW and MOIA are partnering with the city of Hamburg, Germany, to test prototypes of the self-driving cars. Once the prototypes are tested and safe, Hamburg will likely be one of the first to benefit from them.
Using advanced mapping vehicles, they’ve been able to create a detailed 3D map of Hamburg to help their autonomous fleet navigate through the city. That’s not all the vehicles will rely on, though. They will employ a small army of sensors, both in and outside of the vehicle. Outdoor sensors will serve to monitor pedestrians, cars, and anything else they might cross paths with.
However, indoor sensors will essentially do the jobs of a driver. They’ll monitor how many passengers are in the car, make sure all baggage is stowed correctly, and will know whether passengers are in their seats. They will even be able to read the faces of people entering the vehicle to make sure they’re supposed to get in.
The goal is to use these autonomous vehicles to try and improve road safety and increase mobility within large cities.
How soon will MOIA’s new fleet be ready?
Ideally, VW would like the autonomous ID. Buzz out on the streets by 2025. However, the vehicle will not be easy to mass produce. The amount of tech required to make the cars safe for city streets is extensive and the pieces won’t come cheap on such a large scale.
Looking to buy a new EV? The
Jerry
app can help you insure it at an affordable price. A licensed broker, Jerry does all the hard work of finding cheap quotes from the top name-brand insurance companies and buying new car insurance. Jerry will even help you cancel your old policy.And to ensure you always have the lowest rate, Jerry will send you new quotes every time your policy comes up for renewal, so you’re always getting the coverage you want at the best price.
