Volkswagen has had setbacks and delays in the past, but the German group wants to accelerate the development of self-driving cars and has a goal of launching the first self-driving taxi services in Germany in 2026.

The German group has a division called Moia that is working on introducing autonomous driving technologies to the group’s vans. A fleet is being tested in Germany, but VW Commercial Vehicle bosses admit there is a long way to go before the driver is completely taken out of the equation.

Germany will also launch ride-sharing services, and initially there will be an engineer in the driver’s seat so that a human can intervene if there is a problem. These services will be able to launch only after the authorities allow cars that can move without a person behind the wheel to be on the roads.

A few years ago, Volkswagen invested in a startup working on autonomous car technology, a company called Argo AI, in which Ford also participated in funding rounds. The startup closed in the fall of 2022.

Volkswagen says it has made progress in recent years in the technology that allows the car to drive itself, and 2026 is believed to be the year when the paid service could be launched to the public. Another phase will involve the development of a dedicated vehicle for driverless ride-sharing services, a vehicle that should be launched around 2030.

The release schedule cannot be “nailed” because everything depends on the test results in the near future.

Source Autocar UK