Autonomous driving start-up Pony.ai can gather fares for robotaxi rides in elements of two main Chinese language cities as of Sunday.
Pony.ai handout
BEIJING — Self-driving start-up Pony.ai introduced Sunday it acquired a taxi license, the primary of its variety in China.
The license permits Pony.ai to function 100 self-driving automobiles as conventional taxis within the Nansha district of the southern metropolis of Guangzhou, the corporate stated.
The Chinese language start-up, which is backed by Toyota, acquired approval from Beijing metropolis late final 12 months to cost charges to function a business robotaxi enterprise in a suburban district of town. It isn’t the identical as a taxi licence.
Baidu’s Apollo Go also received approval in the same Beijing district final 12 months.
Pony.ai was valued at $8.5 billion in early March. The corporate stated its Nansha taxi license required 24 months of autonomous driving testing in China and/or different international locations, and no involvement in any lively legal responsibility visitors accidents, amongst different components.
The beginning-up stated it plans to launch business robotaxi companies in two different massive Chinese language cities subsequent 12 months. The corporate is already testing self-driving automobiles in these cities and in California.Â
Robotaxis in China at the moment have a human driver current for security.
— CNBC’s Arjun Kharpal contributed to this report.
