Chinese startup Pony.ai began testing its driverless vehicles on the roads of California (USA) as part of a plan to launch a commercial autonomous robotaxis service in 2022.
“Traveling completely without a driver is key to achieving full autonomy and an indispensable catalyst for realizing our ambitious vision,” said James Peng, CEO and co-founder of Pony.ai.
After the company received the corresponding authorization from local authorities last month, it began testing with a fleet of six driverless vehicles in an area of approximately 100 square kilometers, where the cities of Fremont and Milpitas are located.
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However, Pony.ai still has some regulatory hurdles to overcome before it can operate commercially. So far it does not have so-called ‘deployment permits’ from the California Department of Motor Vehicles and the state Public Utilities Commission.
Pony.ai, founded in 2016 by former Chinese tech company Baidu developers Peng and Lou Tiancheng, has been given the go-ahead to test autonomous vehicles with drivers in California since 2017. In 2019, Hyundai Kona electric trucks, equipped with With an autonomous driving system from Pony.ai, they began transporting customers. The permit to operate the vehicles without a driver will serve to expand the activity of Pony.ai in that state
As the pandemic eases and California returns to normal operations, Pony is preparing to launch a commercial robotaxi service. It has already amassed a number of partners and more than $ 1 billion in funding, including $ 400 million from Toyota, to help it achieve that goal. Last November, the company said its valuation had reached $ 5.3 billion following a fresh injection of $ 267 million in funding. Pony has several partnerships or collaborations with automakers and suppliers, including Bosch, Hyundai and Toyota.
