Pony.ai Collaborates With Toyota For Autonomous Driving Venture In China

Pony.ai, a global autonomous driving enterprise, had a joint venture signing ceremony. Collaborating with Toyota Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd. (TMCI) and GAC Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (GTMC).

This joint venture, set to materialize in 2023, comes with a substantial projected investment exceeding RMB 1 billion (approx. Rs. 1153 crore). GTMC will supply Pony.ai with a fleet of Toyota-branded battery electric vehicles that have Toyota’s advanced vehicle redundant systems tailored for L4 autonomous driving development. These vehicles will be integrated with Pony.ai’s autonomous driving technology and will operate on the PonyPilot+ robotaxi network platform. This concerted effort aims to introduce secure and user-friendly robotaxi services for passengers.

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The amalgamation of Pony.ai’s autonomous driving technology and robotaxi operational expertise, Toyota’s distinguished vehicle technologies, and GTMC's proficient production capabilities will lay the foundation for an expanded robotaxi service capacity. 

Their collaboration was initially unveiled in August 2019, when they jointly embarked on the advancement of autonomous vehicles in China. Subsequently, in September 2019, the duo took the lead in conducting autonomous driving trials on public roads in China, employing Toyota's Lexus RX 450h model coupled with Pony.ai’s autonomous driving systems. In a pivotal development in April 2023, public road testing commenced for the Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS (S-AM) vehicle, outfitted with Pony.ai's sixth-generation autonomous driving software and hardware system, in both Beijing and Guangzhou.

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With an expansive fleet encompassing approximately 200 Toyota and Lexus robotaxis, Pony.ai currently operates across all four of China’s Tier-1 cities – Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. These vehicles are engaged in road tests and public-facing robotaxi operations.

Written by: - RONIT AGARWAL