Pony.ai Expands Autonomous Fleet Despite China Robotaxi Safety Review
- tech360.tv
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
Chinese autonomous driving company Pony.ai has not been affected by a national safety review following a robotaxi outage involving rival Baidu's Apollo Go. Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer James Peng said the Guangzhou-based organisation is pushing ahead with expansion into more cities.
China paused approvals for new autonomous vehicle licences after Apollo Go's robotaxis abruptly stopped on streets in Wuhan, Bloomberg reported. The review focuses on how companies and local authorities ensure the safe operation of autonomous driving systems.
Pony.ai has already completed all the evaluations, and its business has not been impacted. Peng clarified that the safety review did not entail a suspension of licences.
The company plans to expand its fleet and is in the process of launching into more cities. Pony.ai aims to grow its robotaxi fleet to 3,500 vehicles by the end of the year from more than 1,700 currently.
This target raises its earlier goal of 3,000 by 16.7%. The company also expects full-year robotaxi revenue to exceed 3.5 times the levels in 2025, up from an earlier forecast of 3 times.
The organisation posted its strongest quarter in terms of revenue from its core robotaxi services, which rose almost fivefold to USD 8.6 million in the first three months. Total revenue was up 145% from a year earlier to USD 34.3 million.
Pony.ai's net loss widened to USD 53.5 million in the first quarter from USD 37.4 million a year earlier. The company posted its first-ever profitable quarter in Q4, primarily driven by investment gains.
Peng noted that the whole industry still faces a lot of uncertainties. However, he stated there is strong momentum in fleet deployment both domestically and internationally.
Pony.ai, along with domestic peers Baidu and WeRide, is still building its presence overseas. Together, these companies operate the world's largest robotaxi fleets.
Key cities across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East are set to see a mix of U.S., Chinese, and local players competing for fleet trials, deployments, and market share, said Counterpoint's senior analyst Murtuza Ali.
The UK could be a key battleground, with Baidu exploring opportunities through partnerships with Uber and Lyft. Alphabet's Waymo and British self-driving startup Wayve are also targeting the market.
Peng described the UK as a very interesting market. He said his company is looking at the opportunity but is not confirming anything yet.
Pony.ai is unaffected by China's autonomous vehicle safety review and continues its expansion into more cities.
The company increased its year-end fleet target to 3,500 vehicles and expects full-year robotaxi revenue to exceed 3.5 times 2025 levels.
Core robotaxi revenue rose almost fivefold to USD 8.6 million in the first quarter, though net losses widened to USD 53.5 million.
Source: REUTERS
