Pony AI, Nearing Full-Year Robotaxi Goal, Eyes European Markets
Over 200 of Pony AI's Gen-7 Robotaxi vehicles have been rolled out since mass production started two months ago, putting the firm on track to hit its 1,000 vehicle goal by year-end, the company said.
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That will help it break even on a per-vehicle basis, Chief Executive Officer James Peng said in an interview on Wednesday. The company was founded in 2016 and started operating robotaxis in Guangzhou in 2018.
The Guangzhou-headquartered firm's optimism comes as it eyes new markets in Europe. Road testing is being carried out in Luxembourg via mobility service provider Emile Weber, Peng said.
Pony AI is also trialing its technology in South Korea, where it has obtained nationwide permits for robotaxi operations. It has a tie-up with Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority, and with Uber Technologies Inc. to deploy self-driving vehicles in the Middle East.
'In a year or two, once the regulations are ready, the local users are on board, then I think those markets will take off dramatically,' Peng said of foreign regions.
Earlier in August, Pony AI's rival — Baidu Inc.'s Apollo Go — inked an agreement with US ride-hailing platform Lyft Inc. to deploy robotaxis in Europe, starting with Germany and the UK in 2026, pending regulatory approval.
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Chinese regulators' attitude toward autonomous driving technology seems to be warming up, too, despite a public debate that erupted in 2024 over Apollo Go's robotaxi fleet in the central city of Wuhan. Taxi drivers protested the self-driving cars potentially taking their jobs, while residents complained about traffic disruptions.
Last month, Shanghai granted licenses to companies including Pony AI and Apollo Go, allowing commercial operations in financial district Pudong. It became the latest Chinese urban center — following Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou — to permit fare-charging robotaxi operations.
'This is a big step for making robotaxis a real business,' Peng said.
Pony AI reported second quarter earnings on Tuesday, with robotaxi services revenue climbing 158% to $1.5 million from the same period in 2024, according to a company filing. Peng told an earnings call that the company had 'laid a solid foundation for large-scale commercial robotaxi operation.'
Still, the road to scaling hundreds of commercial robotaxis remains challenging. Most countries — other than the US and China — remain unready for large-scale deployment, Chief Financial Officer Leo Wang told the call. The current limitations mean it could take time to develop a sustainable fare-charging business model, he said.
'I would also emphasize that scaling a full driverless robotaxis fleet demands a fundamentally higher level of safety and operation rigor,' he added. 'This leap from dozens to hundreds is a big jump in complexity.'
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