CDE Collision Centers (Western)

VW Developing Self-Driving Taxi Fleet

Volkswagen’s ride-sharing autonomous car will borrow concepts from its Budd-e concept,  but with some variation.  The carmaker's new Moia digital business division is currently developing an electric "people mover" that will be utilized by a ride-sharing service that allegedly give Uber a run for its money.

At CDE Collision Centers (Western), we are proud to be in an industry that is changing literally every day, and we often see the results of this technological explosion in Chicago and all over IL. In the end, it will hopefully help us all, as we find better and improved modes of transportation.

This Electric Vehicle (EV) that VW unveiled at this year's Detroit Auto Show, has 6-8 seats, so it will very similar to the minibus versions of VW’s Transporter light van than a passenger vehicle. Before the new Moia Europe EV becomes available, the Transporter will suffice and that is what many European taxi companies are using it.

Moia’s stated mission is to go driverless and it anticipates that VW will begin making autonomous prototypes by 2019, but that concept version of the EV will start appearing regularly later this year.

The Moia EV will differ slightly from the EV Budd-e minivan concept first displayed by VW at the 2016 CES in Las Vegas, but it will utilize some of its some technology, including a constant wireless internet connection that will work even when the taxi is not running. VW is also designing a windscreen on which passengers can see films if they choose.

VW plans to pilot on-demand shuttle services starting in 2018 through Moia, initially using existing VW Group vehicles that are not self-drivers. The master plan is that customers will be able to hail the shuttle with an app, then move to the nearest main street that the shuttle will be operating on.

Half taxi, half bus--VW wants the Moia to alleviate traffic congestion and get more people to share taxis.  To make this happen, VW needs to establish and foster strong and mutually beneficial relationships with local authorities before they set up in any municipality.  The German government sees Hamburg as a possible test field for autonomous driving so VW will likely start their system there.

If the Moia is a hit, it could be bigger than anything else out there in the world of autonomous shared transportation and soon there will be future Moia projects in Europe. VW sells more cars than any other company in the world and if they succeed with the Moia, they might as well changes its name to Moola!

Sources: Drive, VW American and AOL News