He said: “One thing is at the centre of everything we do: safety and transparency in the development and the operation. These are the basis of everything we do, and this is why we have always said that anyone addressing autonomous driving these days must be ready for a marathon. And indeed we are.
“We’re at home on long distances, as our commercial vehicles have amply demonstrated in the past.”
Intra’s words represent Volkswagen’s firmest commitment to autonomous vehicles since it shuttered Argo AI, the self-driving start-up it backed alongside Ford, in October 2022.
At the time, Ford CEO Jim Farley attributed the closure of Argo AI to the perceived unprofitability of level-four autonomous vehicles (meaning those without drivers but limited by environmental conditions).
Farley said: “We’re optimistic about a future for level-four ADAS, but profitable, fully autonomous vehicles at scale are a long way off, and we won’t necessarily have to create that technology ourselves.”
Nonetheless, Volkswagen continues to invest heavily in the technology. Its Autonomous Driving, Mobility and Transport (ADMT) division yesterday announced a new agreement with tech firm Mobileye to bring a level-four-capable version of the Volkswagen ID Buzz electric MPV to market.
ADMT’s mission is to launch the autonomous ID Buzz in 2026, with the new variant most likely to underpin Moia’s pay-per-mile service, planned to arrive the same year.