Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWGoA) has started its first autonomous vehicle test programme in Austin, U.S.A.

The programme will see a total of 10 examples of the ID. Buzz outfitted with an autonomous driving technology platform developed by the global Volkswagen Group in partnership with technology company Mobileye. This platform makes use of cameras, radar, and lidar technology, and all vehicles will be staffed with supervising human drivers at all times throughout this initial test phase.

VWGoA states that it plans to grow its test fleet in Austin and expand its testing operations to at least four more cities in the U.S.A. A commercial launch of autonomous driving vehicles is also expected by 2026.