Volkswagen Group of America (VWGoA) has announced it will be testing its autonomous driving vehicles in the state of Texas, US.

The fleet will feature ten of its ID Buzz vehicles (SAE L4) equipped with AD technology developed by VW in partnership with technology company Mobileye.

VW is aiming for commercial launch of autonomous driving vehicles in Austin by 2026.

Pablo Di Si, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America said: “We are thrilled to bring our exciting ID. Buzz vehicles to American roads. Expanding Volkswagen Group’s global autonomous driving vehicle programme to the United States marks an important milestone for us.”

Katrin Lohmann, President, Volkswagen ADMT, LLC  said: “We selected Austin as the first US hub, as the city has a track record for embracing innovation and offers a conducive climate for the testing of autonomous vehicles. We are committed to continuing an open and collaborative dialogue with the city and its diverse stakeholders.”

For the test fleet, VWGoA plans to leverage autonomous driving (AD) technology and ID. Buzz vehicles provided by the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand in Germany.