Pony.ai's JV with Toyota to spur robotaxi development

Autonomous driving firm Pony.ai has set up a partnership with Japanese carmaker Toyota and its Chinese joint venture GAC Toyota, which is expected to speed up the commercial operations of robotaxis in China.

The new partnership, with a registered capital of over 1 billion yuan ($138 million), is now working on the development of its first product, a Level 4 autonomous vehicle, and its production planning, said the three companies earlier this week.

They did not give an exact schedule about when the model will be ready for production, but a concept vehicle is shown at Toyota's booth at the Beijing auto show which will run to May 4.

James Peng, CEO of Pony.ai, said the joint venture will make it possible to ensure the consistence in the quality of mass-produced Level 4 vehicles, and the cost will be lower than before.

He added that the partnership will enable large-scale operations of robotaxi fleets, which involve such things as vehicle maintenance and charging.

Zhou Xiaoyun, a Toyota China executive, said when the first model is ready, over 1,000 units will be added to Pony's current fleets, first starting from first-tier cities in the country.

Toyota and Pony.ai started their strategic partnership in 2019. In China, Pony.ai now has robotaxi fleets in several major cities, including Beijing and Guangzhou, Guangdong province.