Uber has announced a partnership with Volkswagen to deploy thousands of fully autonomous electric vehicles, marking a significant advancement in self-driving technology.

This collaboration highlights Volkswagen's commitment to the mobility-as-a-service sector, leveraging its ID. Buzz AD to enhance the commercial rollout of autonomous technology.

Los Angeles is set to be the first city to host this new autonomous fleet, with operations expected to begin in 2026.

Initial testing of the autonomous vehicles will commence later in 2025, with human operators present during the trial phase to ensure safety and functionality.

Despite the rise of robotaxis, Uber's Senior Vice-President Andrew Macdonald stated that human drivers will still play a crucial role in the ridesharing ecosystem, particularly in challenging conditions.

Shared rides could help mitigate traffic congestion caused by autonomous vehicles, which often travel empty between pickups.

Passengers will benefit from cost savings with shared rides, as fares will be lower due to sharing the vehicle with other riders.

Uber's Chief Product Officer, Sachin Kansal, emphasized that the future of urban mobility will be 'shared, electric, and autonomous', aiming to make these technologies accessible to everyday users.

Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, highlights this collaboration as a significant milestone in advancing autonomous mobility, expressing excitement for the upcoming launch.

This initiative is positioned as the first large-scale use of fully autonomous vehicles for shared rides, enhancing competition in the autonomous ride-hailing market against rivals like Lyft and Waymo.

The rides will feature fully electric, self-driving ID Buzz AD minivans, with thousands set to be deployed across multiple US cities over the next decade.

Christian Senger, CEO of Volkswagen autonomous mobility, emphasizes the company's role in shaping the future of mobility through this collaboration with Uber.