The craze for robotaxis is overwhelming nowadays. To recap, these robotaxis are revolutionary and big innovations: self-driving cars that don’t need much human intervention.
Surprising twist
Uber wants to move forward with robotaxis, of course. In a surprising twist, it has partnered with Volkswagen, a German car manufacturer, to exclusively offer robotaxi services on the Uber app via thousands of automakers’ IDs. Are those controversies? It’s a milestone for this team, for sure.
Reports are saying testing with human operators will start later this year. In 2026, these ridesharing journalists are also saying the launch of the robotaxi service from Uber and Volkswagen in Los Angeles in 2026, prior to expanding to several other locations in the United States over the following decade.
Buzz will be traveling! The team means this all-electric Volkswagen, a vintage-style minivan, following the design of the classic Volkswagen bus, seating up to seven passengers. You can remember that it became first available for sale in the United States last year.
Christian Senger, the chief executive officer of Volkswagen Autonomous Mobility, stated, “Volkswagen is not just a car manufacturer – we are shaping the future of mobility, and our collaboration with Uber accelerates that vision.”
Moia, Volkswagen’s ride pool and autonomous mobility arm, is going to operate those robotaxis, or self-driving vehicles. It is likewise a subsidiary that has been developing and testing autonomous ride pool servicing in Hamburg, a beautiful city in Germany, since 2021.
Not the first
Car makers have increasingly tapped strategic tie-ups, such as between Uber and Volkswagen, to expedite the deployment of autonomous technology. Volkswagen is within a stone’s throw reach from Uber, but it is only now that the world’s biggest ridesharing platform saw the opportunity.
For example, Waymo, a robotaxi company based in California, has previously partnered with Jaguar to expand its self-driving ride-hailing services in several cities nationwide. Recently, it announced a deal with the South Korean car company Hyundai to install fully autonomous driving technology.
Last August 2024, General Motors also partnered with Uber via Cruise, its robotaxis subsidiary, before the automaker stopped funding the subsidiary months after, citing an “increasingly competitive robotaxi market” and a brand-new focus on autonomous driving for personal cars.
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