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In Guangzhou, Pony.ai began driverless testing in June 2021

The leading global autonomous driving technology company Pony.ai has announced that the general public will be able to experience the self-driving robot axi for the first time in Beijing, China. The company is one of two robotic axi operators licensed by Beijing city authorities to provide unmanned services in southeast Beijing. 

To ensure safety during this pilot program, a Pony.ai safety supervisor will sit in the front passenger seat. This new program, which is free to the customer, complements an existing pilot program in which it can offer, for a fee, a robotic taxi service to the general public that keeps a safety driver behind the wheel monitoring the journey.

“The approval of Pony.ai to operate self-driving robotaxis in Beijing is a critical milestone in the transition from testing self-driving autonomous vehicles and offering self-driving robot taxi rides to passengers”

Pony self-driving taxi

Pony.ai received approval for passenger-free testing in Beijing in October 2021 and became one of the first two autonomous driving companies to start charging fees for robotic taxi services in Beijing in November 2021. In Guangzhou, Pony.ai began driverless testing in June 2021 and recently became the first and only autonomous driving company to obtain a taxi license in China.

This Guangzhou license officially allows Pony.ai's autonomous vehicles to operate as taxis, a milestone for the commercialization of robotaxis in China. As of April 2022, Pony.ai's autonomous vehicles have covered more than 11 million (6,8 million miles) of true autonomous miles worldwide, including more than 200.000 (124.000 miles) of self-driving miles.

Ontime is one of the leading ride hailing providers in China, providing a wide range of app-based ride hailing services in the cities of China's Greater Bay Area, such as Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhuhai, Shenzhen and Dongguan.

GAC is one of China's largest car manufacturers and a long-time partner of Pony.ai. Pony.ai's close partnership with Ontime allows the two companies to leverage their own unique advantages to accelerate the commercialization of autonomous driving technology.

Also read: Microsoft wants to market a self-driving car

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