​Pony.ai permitted for unmanned Robotaxi service in Shenzhen

Beijing (Gasgoo)- Pony.ai, the Chinese autonomous driving solution provider, obtained Shenzhen's first-ever demonstration application license for unmanned autonomous driving services. 

Photo credit: Pony.ai

This groundbreaking approval allows Pony.ai to offer Level 4 autonomous ride-hailing services, often referred to as "Robotaxi," to the general public within the city's central areas. Previously, the company had successfully deployed its fully autonomous ride-hailing services in major cities such as Beijing and Guangzhou, establishing itself as one of the pioneer firms granted autonomous testing qualifications in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.

As of now, Shenzhen residents can conveniently hail autonomous vehicles via the PonyPilot+ app in the bustling Qianhai area. Passengers can simply order a ride, take a seat in the back, and initiate their journey by tapping the "Start Trip" button on the screen. Pony.ai's autonomous ride-hailing service, PonyPilot+, is accessible at nearly 150 locations across Shenzhen, encompassing metro stations, parks, commercial districts, residential communities, and other high-demand destinations. The service operates from 8:30 AM to 10:30 PM, covering both morning and evening peak hours.

Back in May, Pony.ai secured Shenzhen's exclusive intelligent connected vehicle unmanned testing permit, commencing driverless testing in the city's central area without a safety operator in the driver's seat. Leveraging the robust generalization abilities of the company’s virtual driver technology, Pony.ai has demonstrated proficiency in navigating complex road conditions in Shenzhen's core region. 

Currently, Pony.ai has amassed a cumulative total of 25 million kilometers in autonomous driving distance, with 250,000 kilometers covered in fully unmanned driving.