Pony.ai has begun operating autonomous vehicles that accept ride-hailing orders in Shenzhen’s Nanshan district, marking a significant step in the commercial deployment of self-driving technology, according to KrASIA. This development places Pony.ai among the few companies actively offering robotaxi services to the public.
Founded in 2016 by James Peng, Pony.ai anticipated that it would take at least a decade before large-scale deployment of autonomous ride-hailing services became viable. The company’s current operations demonstrate progress towards that goal, paralleling similar efforts by Waymo, which runs autonomous vehicles in San Francisco, KrASIA reported.
For Japanese markets, where autonomous vehicle technology is still in early stages, Pony.ai’s commercial deployment in China highlights regional advancements that could influence future mobility and investment opportunities in Asia’s tech-driven transportation sector.