The roof has a place for self-driving sensors.
Volkswagen teased the return to the Microbus for many years. In 2017, they finally confirmed that the ID Buzz would be returning for the model year 2022. We have yet to see the production version of the Microbus, but spy photographers have captured one test bus. VW’s Commercial Vehicles department is developing an autonomous driving system for the Buzz.
VW Commercial Vehicles today announced that it is continuing its autonomous driving R&D. A rendering of the ID Buzz, which features a weird helmet and strange side mirrors, was released by VW Commercial Vehicles. They will likely contain the few sensors required to operate the autonomous driving program, which will be powered by Argo AI. Both Ford and VW have committed to working together on future models.
The ID Buzz render shows a bus that is more real than some of the concepts. Although it looks like a concept, the front-end design is more production-ready. It has fully realized headlights, and a stylized lower bumper. It retains the bulbous design of the original concept. It does not have side mirrors which would make it illegal for Americans to drive on US roads. However, it does have doors. They are not shown in the rendering.
VW’s autonomous driving system will be available for traffic use in 2025. However, the Buzz wearing that strange hat may not arrive until next year. The non-autonomous version of the Buzz will launch sometime next year. The self-driving system will be developed for urban use by the commercial vehicle brand of VW. Special purpose vehicles like robo-taxis or vans are also being developed. We will keep an eye out for additional test vehicles so that we can see the final product.