Toyota joins hands with Tencent to boost transition towards mobility service provider

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On April 25, Tencent Holdings Ltd. ("Tencent") and Toyota Motor Corporation ("Toyota") announced the commencement of their strategic cooperation at the Auto China 2024.

In the future, Toyota will combine Tencent's strengths in fields of AI large model, cloud technologies, and digital ecosystems to with Toyota's abundant mobility offerings like SDVs (Software Defined Vehicles). The Japanese automaker is set to place its focus on transitioning towards a mobility service provider, with continuous efforts directed towards business transformation centered around electrification, intelligence, and diversification.

Photo credit: Toyota

In the realm of intelligence technologies, Toyota has long engaged in profound collaboration with the Chinese autonomous driving technology company, Pony.ai. In August 2023, Toyota China, Pony.ai, and GAC Toyota inked an agreement to establish a joint venture for businesses related to self-driving taxis. The three parties planned to jointly invest over 1 billion yuan in launching Robotaxis based on Toyota-branded BEVs (battery electric vehicle) produced by GAC Toyota.

The joint venture between Toyota and Pony.ai is set to be formally established in the coming days. Its initial plan is to introduce a fleet of 1,000 Bozhi 4X Robotaxis, which will be operated through Pony.ai’s platform to provide self-driving Robotaxi services in major tier 1 cities, and to promote the commercialization of Level 4 Robotaxis.

At the ongoing Auto China 2024, the concept vehicle of the Bozhi 4X Robotaxi, developed in collaboration between Pony.ai and Toyota, made its appearance. The model is set to be equipped with Pony.ai's seventh-generation self-driving passenger car system solution.

Furthermore, Toyota is dedicated to developing its "software-defined" vehicle models seamlessly integrated with social infrastructures. At the Auto China 2024, the company unveiled the groundbreaking concept car "LF-ZC." It's designed to radically miniaturize and lighten basic components and, through integrated hardware and software, proactively anticipate user needs and improve itself to deliver personalized experiential value. As per the plan, the LF-ZC will see a global release in 2026.