MOIA America and Uber have moved their Los Angeles robotaxi partnership into the testing phase, putting Volkswagen's autonomous ID. Buzz vehicles onto local streets under human supervision. The new step matters because Los Angeles is the first U.S. market named in the companies' broader plan to bring Volkswagen-built autonomous shuttles onto the Uber network.

What the companies confirmed

TechCrunch reported Wednesday that the companies said validation testing is now underway in Los Angeles, with an initial group of about 10 autonomous vehicles expected in the coming weeks. CNET separately reported that the on-road testing phase has started and that the vehicles are operating with human safety operators onboard.

That cautious rollout lines up with the partnership Volkswagen and Uber announced in April 2025. In MOIA's original release, the companies said Los Angeles would be the first launch market, with testing to begin before any commercial service and regulatory approvals required at each step.

Why it matters

The immediate news is not a public launch yet. It is a real-world operational milestone: a joint fleet site is now running in Los Angeles, the test program is expected to grow past 100 vehicles, and Uber is adding another serious autonomy partner alongside Waymo and others.

California still requires separate approvals for testing, deployment, and commercial ride-hailing. That means the safest takeaway is simple: Volkswagen's ID. Buzz robotaxi plan is no longer just a presentation slide, but it is still in the supervised testing stage.