Following some intensive behind-the-scenes work, Volkswagen is now confident enough in its autonomous vehicle technologies that it's prepared to release the self-driving Gen.Urban into real-world traffic.
How important a move is that?
Pretty important. It means that Volkswagen now trusts its robot driving tech enough that it thinks that the Gen.Urban can now cope with that most unpredictable of variables - human drivers.
Is dealing with other traffic the point of this test?
Partly, but it's also about working out how passengers inside the car cope with being driven, amid 'normal' traffic, by a car with no steering wheel not pedals. The idea is that by seeing and recording those responses, Volkswagen can tweak the way future robot cars control themselves so that passengers can feel more comfortable.
So we all don't start freaking out when the robots take over?
Something like that, but also just to look at more mundane things, such as what people do when they're being driven about - do they work or relax? How do kids react? What about older people?
What else is Volkswagen working on?
VW's also looking into how people can set a robotic car up ahead of a journey - uploading their preferences for climate control, seat position, music, lighting, etc.
Each test takes place with a passenger sitting in the driver's seat position, while a trained 'safety' driver rides in what would be the passenger-side front seat of the Gen.Uber, prepared to bring things to a stop in an emergency.
Dr Nikolai Ardey, Head of Volkswagen Group Innovation, explains: "The technology for autonomous driving is making rapid progress. With our Gen.Urban research vehicle, we want to understand exactly how passengers experience autonomous driving. Why? Because the key to a positive customer experience is to build trust - through meaningful interaction, a relaxed atmosphere, and intelligent assistance systems that respond precisely to the needs of passengers. Ultimately, technology should fit people, not the other way around. We will benefit from these insights across the entire Group in the long term."
Where are the tests taking place?
Each test run lasts around 20 minutes, starting from the front gates of VW's famed headquarters factory in the city of Wolfsburg. The route then heads down Saar and Lessing streets, Brandenburger Platz, Breslauer Street, Grauhorststraße, and finally returns via Heinrich-Nordhoff-Street. Traffic light intersections, roundabouts, current construction sites, residential areas, industrial sections, and possibly congested traffic are all included in the route, to try and make things as realistic for the Gen.Urban as possible.