Pony.ai has just made history in China, snagging the first-ever permit to operate fully paid, driverless robotaxis in Shenzhen’s bustling Nanshan District, home to close to 2 million residents.
This milestone, marks a massive leap forward for autonomous driving tech, with the company now rolling out paid rides in one of China’s busiest urban hubs.
The company’s expansion connects Nanshan—a tech-heavy district with a GDP nearing A$1 trillion—with its existing operations in Baoan District, home to over 4 million people.
This creates Shenzhen’s first driverless network across Shenzhen’s City Centers, linking key spots like business hubs, residential zones, and even Shenzhen Baoan International Airport.
For a city known for its chaotic traffic and tricky road layouts, Pony.ai’s tech is proving it can handle the real world with no human behind the wheel.
Key Features of Pony.ai’s Robotaxi Service
All-Weather Reliability Operating from 7:30 AM to 10:00 PM daily, these robotaxis are built to tackle heavy traffic, tunnels, and narrow lanes, no matter the conditions.
User-Friendly Booking Rides can be booked via the Pony.ai app or a WeChat mini-program, making it dead simple for commuters to hop in.
Proven Tech Backbone With over 45 million kilometers of autonomous driving under its belt, including 5 million fully driverless, Pony.ai’s system is battle-tested and ready for scale.
Expanding our fully driverless commercial robotaxi services to the vibrant city centers of Shenzhen will accelerate public adoption, as well as inspire confidence and trust in fully driverless technology as we deploy its application to daily urban use cases.
– James Peng, CEO, Pony.ai
