Yazılar

Uber Teams Up with Pony AI to Launch Self-Driving Taxis in Middle East Pilot Program

/in /tarafından

Uber announced on Tuesday a new partnership with China-based autonomous driving company Pony AI, marking its latest move to expand into the robotaxi market. The collaboration will begin with a pilot launch in a key Middle Eastern market later this year, with plans for further international rollout.

During the pilot phase, Pony AI vehicles will operate with onboard safety drivers, with the goal of transitioning to fully autonomous commercial service as regulatory and technical milestones are met.

The deal is part of Uber’s growing portfolio of partnerships aimed at strengthening its foothold in self-driving mobility, as it competes with rivals like Lyft and Tesla. In recent weeks, Uber also announced collaborations with May Mobility and Momenta, and expanded its strategic alliances with WeRide and Alphabet’s Waymo.

Pony AI shares rose nearly 13% in premarket trading following the news, while Uber shares dipped slightly by 1%. Pony AI, which went public on Nasdaq in November, is backed by Toyota and has active robotaxi licenses in major Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. The company is also exploring expansions into South Korea, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, and other international markets.

As the U.S. government continues to ease certain regulatory barriers for self-driving vehicles—while requiring incident reporting—companies like Uber and Pony AI are accelerating efforts toward large-scale robotaxi deployment.

China’s Pony.ai Eyes Robotaxi Services in Hong Kong, Joins Baidu in Race

/in /tarafından

Pony.ai Inc., a Guangzhou-based autonomous driving company, is preparing to launch its robotaxi services in Hong Kong, joining Baidu in the race to provide driverless commuting solutions in the city. As part of its expansion plans, Pony.ai aims to roll out robotaxi services initially for airport staff at Hong Kong International Airport, with future plans to expand to other urban areas. The company has yet to announce a specific timeline for the service launch.

This move places Pony.ai in direct competition with Baidu, the Chinese AI giant, which received approval from the Hong Kong government in November to conduct driverless taxi trials in the North Lantau area. Pony.ai has already secured robotaxi service licenses in major Chinese cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, and is now looking to broaden its reach by exploring markets in South Korea, Luxembourg, the Middle East, and other international regions.

Pony.ai’s entry into the Hong Kong market is part of a broader strategy to expand its autonomous vehicle operations globally, capitalizing on the growing demand for self-driving technology in transportation services.