Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

robotaxi

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

by Leave a Comment

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

by Leave a Comment

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

DeepRoute.ai unveils ‘most advanced robotaxi fleet’

by Leave a Comment

DeepRoute.ai, an international autonomous driving technology company, announces a leading-edge robotaxi fleet equipped with its distinctive Level 4 autonomous driving solution, Driver 2.0.

Engineered for mass production and adoption by automakers, this advancement in autonomous vehicle technology previews what’s to come in the transportation industry and the future of L4 consumer vehicles.

Composed of 30 SAIC Motor Marvel R SUVs, the robotaxi fleet will deploy in Shenzhen, China, in the coming months. [Read more…] about DeepRoute.ai unveils ‘most advanced robotaxi fleet’

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

by Leave a Comment

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

Baidu expands Apollo Go robotaxi service to all first-tier cities in China

by Leave a Comment

Baidu Apollo’s ride-hailing service platform Apollo Go has launched trial operation in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District, providing autonomous robotaxi services to Shenzhen commuters.

Shenzhen is the seventh city where Baidu has introduced its robotaxi ride services in China, following Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Changsha, and Cangzhou.

Shenzhen’s Nanshan District, home to top tech companies including Tencent and Huawei, is one of the most densely populated areas in south China.

The launch of Baidu’s robotaxi services is set to drive further developments in autonomous driving in Shenzhen and accelerate the development of local intelligent connected vehicles, underscoring Baidu’s continuous efforts and ambition to lead the transformation of intelligent transportation in China. [Read more…] about Baidu expands Apollo Go robotaxi service to all first-tier cities in China

SAIC unveils China’s ‘first’ Level 4 robotic taxi platform

by Leave a Comment

Chinese carmaker SAIC Motor has officially started the operation of its SAIC Mobility Robotaxi, claiming it to be China’s first Level 4 self-driving platform.

SAIC says its “Robotaxi” employs “superior resources” – from SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle Company, SAIC Motor AI Lab, autonomous driving technology company Momenta, and its ride-hailing service platform SAIC Mobility – to create a data-driven ecosystem featuring continuing evolution in an effort to explore the application of Level 4 self-driving technology in urban mobility scenarios.

There is a lack of clarity about the term “robotaxi”. So far, most companies have used it as a generic term to mean robotic taxi. None of them has yet trademarked the actual word. SAIC doesn’t seem to have done so either, but has the word on the side of its cars. [Read more…] about SAIC unveils China’s ‘first’ Level 4 robotic taxi platform

AutoX expands robotaxi operation zone to 1,000 km

by Leave a Comment

Alibaba-backed AutoX, a developer of Level 4 fully autonomous cars, or “robotaxis”, now claims to operate “China’s largest autonomous driving area”.

The total area covers 1,000 square kilometers, including a 168-square-kilometer fully driverless zone. AutoX robotaxis are able to navigate all the public roads inside the 1,000 square kilometer area.

Expanding the total autonomous driving area to over 1,000 square kilometers is an important step towards making the robotic taxi service a reality in the daily lives of people in China. [Read more…] about AutoX expands robotaxi operation zone to 1,000 km

AutoX builds ‘first’ dedicated robotaxi manufacturing line in China

by Leave a Comment

AutoX, the autonomous car developer backed by e-commerce colossus Alibaba, has built what is believed to be the first-ever production line specifically designed to build autonomous robotic taxis. (See video below.)

AutoX claims to be “the front-runner in Level 4 fully autonomous robotaxis in China”, but it has relatively strong competition in the form of Apollo, which is backed by another internet giant, Baidu, China’s equivalent of Google.

AutoX has built what it says is “the first dedicated production facility in the country to produce Level 4 fully driverless robotaxis”, as shown in the startling pictures accompanying this article, which AutoX supplied. [Read more…] about AutoX builds ‘first’ dedicated robotaxi manufacturing line in China

AutoX claims it operates ‘China’s largest driverless taxi service area’

by Leave a Comment

AutoX claims it now operates China’s largest service area for fully driverless RoboTaxis across 65 square miles (168 square kilometers) of Shenzhen, China’s leading tech hub. (See video below.)

AutoX is one of the front runners in Level 4 fully autonomous RoboTaxis in China. Its main competition is Baidu Apollo.

Being able to navigate all the public roads in the Pingshan District in Shenzhen, AutoX has become the first RoboTaxi service to cover an entire district in a Chinese megalopolis. [Read more…] about AutoX claims it operates ‘China’s largest driverless taxi service area’

Motional and Lyft to launch fully driverless ride-hail service in Las Vegas – and other cities

by Leave a Comment

Motional, a developer of driverless technology, and ride-hailing app Lyft are planning to launch a fully driverless public ride-hail service in Las Vegas, the first city in a multimarket rollout.

Motional’s next-generation robotaxis, the all-electric Hyundai Ioniq 5-based robotaxi, will be available on the Lyft app in Las Vegas, starting in 2023. The implementation is part of a partnership between Motional and Lyft which started last year.

The service will be the first time fully driverless cars for use in a ride-hailing service are available to the public in Nevada. Launched by Aptiv in 2018 and now as Motional, the company has operated a public self-driving service with Lyft in Las Vegas for over three years. [Read more…] about Motional and Lyft to launch fully driverless ride-hail service in Las Vegas – and other cities