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### Expansion of Pony.ai’s Robotaxi Services to Hong Kong
Pony.ai, which currently operates over 250 robotaxis without safety drivers in major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, is setting its sights on Hong Kong. Following the footsteps of more established competitor Baidu, Pony.ai aims to commence operations at the Hong Kong International Airport specifically for airport staff. The long-term goal involves broadening services throughout urban areas of Hong Kong to provide rides for all passengers.
“The unique driving environment in Hong Kong will be an excellent testing ground for Pony.ai’s cutting-edge autonomous technology,” the company remarks, highlighting challenges like left-side driving and intricate traffic conditions – including unusual intersection layouts that characterize the city’s congested streets.
### Active Operations Across Major Cities
Currently, Pony.ai also provides robotaxi rides at Beijing Daxing International Airport and is rigorously testing its self-driving vehicles along the major highways leading to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. While airport routes form a substantial segment of their operations in metropolitan areas, Pony.ai’s scope extends well beyond this foundation built since its inception in 2016:
“Pony.ai has emerged as one of China’s frontrunners by receiving permits to operate fully autonomous vehicles across all four Tier-1 cities—Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenzhen—and has initiated public-facing paid robotaxi services devoid of safety drivers in these locations.”
“The average number of daily orders per robotaxi surpassed 15 during the six-month period ending June 30th, 2024—a significant milestone towards wider commercialization efforts for Level 4 robotaxis.”
### Strategic Partnership with GAC AION
Recently celebrated is a partnership between Pony.ai and GAC AION—the innovative energy vehicle arm of GAC Group—to collaboratively engineer mass-produced robotaxis. The global automobile design from GAC AION will utilize Pony.ai’s latest seventh-generation autonomous driving platform.
Together they plan to manufacture over a thousand custom-designed robotaxis within this year—transforming aspects such as passenger comfort while seamlessly integrating advanced self-driving technology into their architecture. With high anticipation regarding their design features; if I find myself visiting Hong Kong soon enough, stepping into one of these innovative electric vehicles would undoubtedly be an experience worth sharing!
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