Photo: Volkswagen
If you were thinking self-driving cars are a long way from becoming a public utility service in your city, think again. In 2022, Doha, the capital of the State of Qatar, will be allowing a fleet of autonomous vehicles to perform public transport services on its streets.
The announcement was made earlier this week by the main beneficiary of the decision, Volkswagen. The Germans signed a deal with the Qatar Investment Authority for the rollout of 35 autonomous and electric ID. Buzz vehicles on the city streets in 2022.
That’s the year when possibly millions of fans are expected to flock to Qatar to experience live the soccer games of the FIFA World Cup.
Presently, Qatar does not have the needed physical and digital infrastructure to safely run these cars. That’s why the state tapped other partners, mostly subsidiaries of the Volkswagen Group, to handle this issue.
Whatever the solution they come up will be, it will be used as “blueprint to transform urban mobility, both in Qatar and beyond.”
Volkswagen will begin closed testing Level 4 ID. Buzzes in Doha in late 2020, and public trials the following year. The effort is called Project Qatar Mobility.
“Project Qatar Mobility will play a very important role in our Strategy ‘Together 2025+‘. Addressing the economic growth, social development, and environmental management challenges identified as part of our vision, and underlines our commitment to investing in next-generation mobility,” said in a statement Herbert Diess, Chairman of Volkswagen.
“We will be experiencing real-world learnings and use the project as a stepping stone – for generations to come.”
The ID. Buzz, an electric revival of the iconic Type 2, was confirmed for production ever since 2017. Since then, it has spawned a commercial variant, and probably more interpretations are on the way. The car was presented as autonomous ever since the concept first showed up, but until now it was unclear how much so it would be.
That’s the year when possibly millions of fans are expected to flock to Qatar to experience live the soccer games of the FIFA World Cup.
Presently, Qatar does not have the needed physical and digital infrastructure to safely run these cars. That’s why the state tapped other partners, mostly subsidiaries of the Volkswagen Group, to handle this issue.
Whatever the solution they come up will be, it will be used as “blueprint to transform urban mobility, both in Qatar and beyond.”
Volkswagen will begin closed testing Level 4 ID. Buzzes in Doha in late 2020, and public trials the following year. The effort is called Project Qatar Mobility.
“Project Qatar Mobility will play a very important role in our Strategy ‘Together 2025+‘. Addressing the economic growth, social development, and environmental management challenges identified as part of our vision, and underlines our commitment to investing in next-generation mobility,” said in a statement Herbert Diess, Chairman of Volkswagen.
“We will be experiencing real-world learnings and use the project as a stepping stone – for generations to come.”
The ID. Buzz, an electric revival of the iconic Type 2, was confirmed for production ever since 2017. Since then, it has spawned a commercial variant, and probably more interpretations are on the way. The car was presented as autonomous ever since the concept first showed up, but until now it was unclear how much so it would be.
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