You may see these self-driving transporters on the road before 2022. Closed testing is poised to start in 2020, and trials could start in 2021. That is, of course, provided there are no setbcks.

There are already self-driving shuttle services in a number of cities. They aren't always on this scale, though, and you haven't seen a major automaker throw its weight into these projects in such a fashion. This could be a major opportunity for VW to show that its driver-free public transportation can work in real situations. Mind you, Qatar is also an ideal testing ground with well-maintained roads and an absence of snow. VW's solution might have a tougher time in other parts of the world, at least until the technology is ready to handle adverse weather.