Pony AI (NASDAQ:PONY) launched 24/7 Robotaxi operations on Friday in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, significantly expanding its service hours in two of China’s most dynamic economic hubs.
This shift marks a key milestone in the company’s Chinese expansion, increasing availability from 15 hours daily to full round-the-clock access. Pony.ai also extended its Robotaxi testing in Beijing to 24 hours a day.
Backed by over 50 million kilometers of global autonomous driving tests, Pony.ai has validated its systems across various traffic and lighting conditions, from midday congestion to late-night roads.
Also Read: Pony.ai To Deploy Robotaxis In Dubai, Trials Begin Late 2025
Its proprietary “virtual driver” has completed more than 500,000 hours of driverless operation, achieving a safety record reportedly up to ten times better than human drivers.
The company’s perception capabilities rely on a fusion of 128-beam LiDAR, 8-megapixel cameras, and 4D imaging millimeter-wave radar, enabling 360-degree, real-time awareness, even in low-light settings.
Pony.ai’s advanced software stack, built on its PonyWorld foundation model, supports its seventh-generation Robotaxi fleet with high-precision detection of road features and obstacles, even up to 650 meters away.
Earlier this week, Pony.ai commenced road testing of its Gen-7 BAIC Robotaxis in Beijing, with plans to extend these trials to Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The company surpassed 2 million km in Level 4 controller testing, cut costs by 80%, and reaffirmed plans to mass-produce 1,000 vehicles in 2025.
Pony.ai shares surged over 106% over the past three months, far outperforming the over 11% gain in the NASDAQ Golden Dragon China Index. However, the stock gained just 0.7% year-to-date, lagging the index’s 15%.
In July, short seller Grizzly Research accused the company of falsifying autonomous driving data, using misleading marketing tactics, and falling behind competitors in service quality. The report also raised concerns about Pony.ai’s financial health, heavy reliance on Chinese state support, and doubts over a rumored U.S. partnership.
In response, Pony.ai pointed to recent milestones, including the mass production of its Gen-7 Robotaxi and plans to expand its autonomous fleet to 1,000 vehicles by 2025.
In a related development, Lucid Group (NASDAQ:LCID) interim CEO Marc Winterhoff praised the rapid progress of Chinese EVs and Robotaxis, calling their quality impressive, but maintained that Lucid still leads in ride comfort and driving dynamics.
He confirmed Lucid would launch its Robotaxi operations in a U.S. city first, even as China continues to advance. Meanwhile, Lucid plans to deploy over 20,000 Robotaxis with Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) over six years.
Price Action: PONY stock is trading higher by 2.77% to $14.85 premarket at last check Friday.
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