Volkswagen enters the robotaxi race with its first passenger service launch in Germany

• Volkswagen's autonomous mobility arm, Moia, is launching a pilot robotaxi service in Hamburg.
• The company said it will start with 10 VW ID. Buzz vehicles with safety operators.
• Moia also plans to launch a passenger service in the US with Uber.

Volkswagen's Moia is launching a pilot robotaxi service in Germany, marking another major automaker stepping deeper into the autonomous mobility arena.

Moia announced Wednesday that select, preregistered Hamburg residents can now book rides in a self-driving Volkswagen ID. Buzz van through the company's app. Up to five vehicles will operate at initial launch, with the fleet expected to expand to as many as 10 cars, a Moia spokesperson told Business Insider.

Each car will have a trained safety monitor behind the wheel who can intervene when necessary. The spokesperson said Moai expects future driverless operations to be handled by the company's remote operations center.

The pilot will function more like an autonomous shuttle — or a shared robotaxi — than a private ride like those offered by Alphabet's Waymo. Passengers traveling in the same direction may share a vehicle, while pickups and drop-offs will take place at designated virtual stops.

The service will cover about 4 square miles within Hamburg. It will gradually expand to around 14 square miles, the spokesperson said.

"Registration was open to anyone with the Moia app, and several thousand people have already joined the waiting list," the Moia spokesperson said. "The strong interest highlights the demand for autonomous mobility in Hamburg."

Rides will be free during the pilot. Moia said passengers will also eventually be able to book the autonomous vehicles through Hamburg's hvv switch public transit app.

"Our first passengers are now experiencing autonomous mobility in Hamburg's urban traffic for the first time," Moia CEO Sascha Meyer said in a statement. "For Moia, this marks an important milestone in the development of our European solution."

Moia has primarily operated a human-driven, ride-pooling service in Hamburg using electric shuttles and its own booking app. In the past several years, the company has been building an autonomous-mobility platform that combines vehicles, self-driving software, fleet management, and passenger-booking technology.

The company's recent robotaxi efforts integrate VW's vans with Mobileye's autonomous driving technology.

A Moia spokesperson said operating a standalone robotaxi service is not part of its broader business model. Instead, it plans to provide a ready-to-use platform to public and private fleet operators.

The pilot deployment in Hamburg is part of a government-backed venture called ALIKE, which looks at how autonomous technology could complement public services.

"The ALIKE project is funded through mid-2027," the Moia spokesperson said. "Any future commercial deployment and its scope will depend on decisions by the responsible public transport authorities, local mobility strategies, and the regulatory framework."

Volkswagen is not the only automaker investing in robotaxi services. Hyundai Motor Group backs Motional, which launched a pilot service in Las Vegas in partnership with Uber. Tesla is also working on its own robotaxi platform, using its vehicles and software.

A company spokesperson said Moia is targeting a European approval for the ID. Buzz in 2027 for driverless operations.

In the US, Moia plans to deploy an autonomous service with Beep, an autonomous shuttle company, and Uber.

Moia said it expects to launch the Beep service in Orlando later this quarter and the Uber service in Los Angeles before the end of the year.