Pony.ai has received a permit that will allow it to conduct fully driverless autonomous vehicle passenger transport in Guangzhou, China.
Across a 310 square-mile (803 square kilometer) area in the city’s Nansha District, customers can now access the company’s driverless robotaxi services by placing an order in the PonyPilot+ app to various locations around the city – including high-speed rail stations, subway stops, parks, as well as business and residential districts.
Through the app, Pony.ai customers can select their destination and, before the vehicle arrives, customize the color of the robotaxi’s welcome light. Once it arrives, riders only need to scan the QR code located on the rear-right door to unlock the vehicle – buckling their seatbelt to begin the journey, once inside. The introduction of Pony.ai’s driverless service follows a near two-year testing period for the company across extreme weather conditions – such as rain and thunderstorms, and heavy fog – as well as other complex road scenarios such as narrow roads and intersections.
Guangzhou is the second city in which Pony.ai has received a fully driverless, public-facing robotaxi permit – having previously received one in Beijing earlier this year. Alongside the Guangzhou permit, the company also announced that its next generation robotaxi model, equipped with its sixth-generation self-driving technology and based on the Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS (S-AM), has obtained test licenses in Beijing and Guangzhou.
In both cities, the model is currently undergoing testing on the road. While the initial testing of the S-AM model vehicle included a safety driver, it has since passed the necessary exams and expert review required for a driverless permit. Pony.ai expects that the S-AM model’s own driverless robotaxi services will commence operations in the near future.
