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Pony.ai wins approval for public driverless robotaxi service in Beijing

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Pony.ai, the leading global autonomous driving technology company, today announced that the general public in Beijing, China, will be able to experience driverless robotaxis for the first time.

Pony.ai was one of two robotaxi operators awarded a permit by Beijing city authorities to offer driverless service in southeastern Beijing.

Pony.ai has had a permit to driverless test since October 2021 but not with the general public in the car. [Read more…] about Pony.ai wins approval for public driverless robotaxi service in Beijing

Pony.ai becomes ‘first’ autonomous driving company to receive taxi license in China

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Pony.ai, an autonomous driving technology company, claims it has become the “first and only autonomous driving company to obtain a taxi license in China”.

Pony.ai was awarded a permit to operate 100 autonomous vehicles as traditional taxis in Nansha, Guangzhou.

In May, Pony.ai will start charging fares in the entire 800 square kilometers of Nansha with 100 robotaxis and intends to gradually expand the scale and scope of service to other areas of Guangzhou to benefit more residents. [Read more…] about Pony.ai becomes ‘first’ autonomous driving company to receive taxi license in China

Autonomous driving systems developer Pony.ai valued at $8.5 billion after latest funding round

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Pony.ai, a developer of autonomous driving technology, has completed its first close of its Series D financing.

The Series D round, which has a significant valuation uplift from the 2020 C and C+ rounds, is a recognition by investors of Pony.ai’s achieved technical milestones and significant progress toward a commercialized robotaxi and robotruck product.

The proceeds from the funding will be used to further augment Pony.ai’s hiring, investment in research and development, global testing of robotaxi and robotrucking on an ever-growing fleet, enter into important strategic partnerships, and accelerate our development toward mass production and mass commercial deployment. [Read more…] about Autonomous driving systems developer Pony.ai valued at $8.5 billion after latest funding round

Pony.ai unveils new autonomous computing unit built on Nvidia Drive Orin

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Pony.ai, an autonomous driving technology company, has developed a “complete autonomous computing unit” built on the Nvidia Drive Orin system-on-chip (SoC).

The company says this marks a “significant milestone” in its move from industrial-grade to automotive-grade hardware.

This autonomous computing unit powered by Nvidia Drive Orin will rapidly accelerate the roll-out of Pony.ai’s Level 4 capabilities. [Read more…] about Pony.ai unveils new autonomous computing unit built on Nvidia Drive Orin

Pony.ai raises $400 million from Toyota for autonomous driving development

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Pony.ai, an autonomous driving company, has raised $400 million from Toyota to deepen and expand the two companies’ collaboration in mobility services.

The investment comes as an extension of a business partnership that was formed between Pony.ai and Toyota in 2019.

Building upon the foundation established last year, both companies will further advance their joint efforts in autonomous driving technology development and mobility service deployment. [Read more…] about Pony.ai raises $400 million from Toyota for autonomous driving development

City of Fremont and Pony.ai launch autonomous vehicle commuter pilot program

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The City of Fremont and autonomous technology company Pony.ai have launched a pilot program offering rides for a group of City employees via Pony.ai’s shared, on-demand, autonomous last-mile service.

The participating employees will ride in Pony.ai autonomous vehicles from Fremont’s Amtrak/ACE Station to City Hall and City of Fremont Development Services Center.

Fremont Mayor Lily Mei says: “By partnering with a local autonomous technology firm Pony.ai, the City of Fremont is acting as a test bed for a transportation solution that has the potential to alleviate congestion, reduce carbon emissions, decrease the number of traffic accidents, and optimize vehicle and land usage. [Read more…] about City of Fremont and Pony.ai launch autonomous vehicle commuter pilot program

Hyundai unveils autonomous electric car for free ride-sharing in California

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Hyundai, in collaboration with Pony.ai and Via, has unveiled BotRide, a shared, on-demand, autonomous vehicle service operating on public roads.

Starting on November 4, a fleet of self-driving Hyundai Kona Electric SUVs will provide a free ride-sharing service to the local community of Irvine, California.

Christopher Chang, head of business development, strategy and technology division, Hyundai, says: “The pilot introduces BotRide to several hundred Irvine residents, including college students. The goal is to study consumer behavior in an autonomous ride-sharing environment. [Read more…] about Hyundai unveils autonomous electric car for free ride-sharing in California