Pony.ai stated its robotaxis can navigate complicated city environments, together with tunnels, dense visitors, and irregular intersections. | Supply: Pony.ai
Pony.ai Inc. yesterday introduced a strategic partnership with Shenzhen Xihu Corp., the most important taxi operator in Shenzhen, China. The businesses will collectively deploy a fleet of greater than 1,000 Pony.ai’s seventh-generation robotaxis in Shenzhen within the coming years.
The companions stated they hope to speed up large-scale robotaxi deployments by utilizing an “asset-light and AI-empowered mannequin.” This mannequin integrates autonomous driving with native mobility networks, bringing robotaxis to a broader passenger base.
Based in 2016, Pony.ai stated its vehicle-agnostic Digital Driver know-how stack integrates proprietary software program, {hardware}, and providers. The firm has headquarters in Guangzhou, China, and Fremont, Calif.
Xihu integrates fleet experience with robotaxis
Established in 1979, Xihu Group focuses on transportation, integrating business, commerce, tourism, actual property, training, environmental safety, and industrial parks. It has many years of expertise in taxi fleet operation, native regulatory compliance, and providers and upkeep networks. The corporate at the moment has almost 5,000 electrical taxis.
Xihu Group plans to combine its experience with Pony.ai’s proprietary {hardware} and software program, AI-powered order-dispatch functionality, and understanding of consumer wants. The companions stated they may work collectively to ship a seamless mobility expertise.
Specifically, Xihu will deal with the fleet and asset operations, security, and repair ensures. In the meantime, Pony.ai will concentrate on know-how improvements and scalable robotaxi dispatch and repair. Going ahead, Pony.ai plans to proceed collaborating with extra transportation service suppliers, automakers, and third events to advertise the mass deployment of autonomous mobility.
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Pony.ai describes Seventh-gen platform
In April, Pony.ai launched its seventh-generation autonomous driving system. The corporate stated it plans to mass-produce its methods by the center of this yr. It options an automotive-grade autonomous driving package (ADK) with an prolonged product lifecycle, delivering enhanced stability and security for passengers, stated Pony.ai.
The corporate stated steady design optimizations have additionally diminished the entire bill-of-materials (BOM) prices by 70%. This additionally got here with an 80% lower in autonomous driving computation (ADC) and a 68% reduce in solid-state lidar, in every case in contrast with its predecessor.
As well as, Pony.ai claimed that its modular platform structure permits adaptation throughout a number of car fashions, starting from its three robotaxi fashions to robotruck providers down the street. The corporate can also be utilizing simulation to coach its methods.
Final month, Pony.ai partnered with Uber Applied sciences Inc. to deploy the corporate’s robotaxis on the Uber platform. The duo plans to launch the service within the Center East later this yr, with plans to scale to worldwide markets sooner or later. Through the preliminary pilot section, these automobiles can have a security operator onboard till the businesses’ totally autonomous industrial launch.
The corporate additionally has plans to increase to Europe. In April, it introduced its European division and obtained a scientific testing allow for Degree 4 autonomous driving from Luxembourg’s Ministry of Mobility and Public Works.
WeRide is one other outstanding Chinese language AV developer that has labored with Uber this yr. Uber stated in a regulatory submitting that it’s going to make investments an extra $100 million into WeRide, and it’ll convey WeRide’s know-how to fifteen extra cities over the subsequent 5 years.
This growth follows WeRide’s AV launch in Abu Dhabi. The corporate plans to launch a service in Dubai quickly, with new cities in Europe to comply with. WeRide stated it plans to launch providers in a number of new cities every year, all outdoors of the U.S. and China.
