Pony.ai greenlighted for pilot unmanned Robotaxi commercial service in Beijing

Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinese autonomous driving solution provider, Pony.ai, recently received the first batch of commercial pilot notices for fully-unmanned Robotaxi commercial services in the Beijing High-level Automated Driving Demonstration Area (BJHAD).

Photo credit: Pony.ai

This approval allows Pony.ai to launch its Robotaxi service with only remote monitoring and no safety operators onboard while charging fees in Beijing's Yizhuang area. This development marks a crucial step as the autonomous driving industry in China enters a phase of structured growth.

Following the acquisition of the pilot notice, Pony.ai promptly initiated its trial program in the BJHAD. The pricing structure for the service will remain consistent with the previous phases. In an effort to enhance the passenger experience for unmanned travel, Pony.ai has introduced several new features on its ride-hailing software, PonyPilot+. These include unmanned pickup points, reservations for unmanned travel, customized welcome lighting, and the sharing of autonomous driving achievements. The company has also updated the user interface of the screen display for the rear passengers seat, improving real-time visuals and adding information on the fully-unmanned Robotaxi service process and vehicle capabilities.

Since obtaining its first permit for autonomous driving unmanned testing (remote testing) in June 2021, Pony.ai has been diligently advancing in software and hardware system development, as well as the production of autonomous driving mobility products. Currently, it conducts L4 autonomous driving unmanned tests simultaneously in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. This demonstrates its ability to handle various road conditions, weather, driving behaviors, and more.