BVG and Moia launch autonomous ID. Buzz trials in Berlin

Berlin’s public transport operator BVG and Volkswagen’s mobility service Moia have launched the testing phase of the NoWeL4 project. As part of the programme, several ID. Buzz AD vehicles – the autonomous version of Volkswagen’s electric van – are now operating in the German capital, initially without passengers.

Moia bvg id buzz ad — Image: BVG/Florian Bündig

BVG and Moia announced their partnership for the NoWeL4 (North-West Area Level 4) project in April 2024. BVG aims to gain practical experience with autonomous driving to expand its public transport services in the future. The project receives €9.5 million in funding from the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.

The first Volkswagen ID. Buzz AD vehicles, equipped with Level 4 technology and using Moia’s software and services, are currently being tested on public roads in north-west Berlin. For now, BVG and Moia are running trial operations without passengers but with safety drivers on board.

The ID. Buzz AD, unveiled in June, is fitted with 27 sensors – including 13 cameras, nine LiDARs and five radars – to create a redundant 360-degree image of its surroundings. The system uses autonomous driving technology developed by Mobileye of Israel. Uber has also announced plans to deploy thousands of these vehicles in the United States.

Test rides with passengers are expected to start in early 2026, again with safety drivers present. The shuttles will operate on demand, based on individual requests rather than timetables. They will move freely within a defined area and serve around 80 designated stops – a mix of conventional and virtual ones. The app will guide users to the nearest stop for boarding.

The test zone covers 15 square kilometres across the districts of Spandau, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Reinickendorf, with operating hours from Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 16:00. Participation will be open to selected applicants from 2026, with rides offered free of charge during the trial.

The trial phase is set to end in 2027, after which BVG and Moia plan to introduce a regular autonomous shuttle service in Berlin. BVG notes that the system can be scaled up to larger fleets – potentially reaching tens of thousands of vehicles – and expanded to wider service areas.

moia.io, bvg.de (both in German)

A version of this article was first published by Florian Treiß for electrive’s German edition.