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Pony AI Update: Robotaxis and Robotruck Services

IMAGE: PR NEWSWIRE

lighting conditions. Pony AI uses 11 high-resolution cameras that Pony AI compare with its competitors in China and the U.S.?
cover a 360° view of the surrounding environment, without major In China, Pony AI competes with multiple robotaxi companies, such
blind spots, to provide a broad picture of the traffic conditions around as Baidu Apollo, DeepRoute, Didi, and WeRide. Apollo Go is the leader
the AVs. Pony AI robotaxis are further equipped with three long-range in deploying robotaxis and added over 1 million rides in Q4 2024, with
4D radars, positioned at the front, back, and front left corner. cumulative rides topping 9 million.
Pony AI also uses a high-accuracy global navigation satellite system In the U.S., Waymo is the clear leader, with a reported 250,000 robo-
(GNSS) and inertial measurement units (IMUs). These sensors work taxi rides per week in
together with high-definition maps and localization modules to ensure Pony AI is focusing on April 2025, up from 200,000
accurate vehicle positioning. in February 2025. The April
Pony AI announced its seventh-generation robotaxi on robotaxi deployment monthly ride rate will yield
April 23, 2025. The biggest change will be the sensor cost, as the press a quarterly run rate of more
announcement listed a 68% decrease in LiDAR cost and an 80% decline in China’s four than 3 million, which is
in the AV computer cost. largest cities: Beijing, the highest of any robotaxi
company.
Remote assistance Guangzhou, Shanghai, In China, Pony AI competes
Pony AI uses a cost-effective and scalable RA system to ensure that AVs and Shenzhen. with multiple robotruck com-
can manage unexpected situations. The RA system has low commu- panies, including Inseptio,
nication bandwidth and latency requirements, as it is designed to act Plus, DeepWay, and others.
only at a vehicle’s request. After receiving such a request, a system TuSimple was the leader but has disintegrated and is no longer a factor.
operator provides suggestions, with driving decisions made locally and I do not see a clear robotruck leader in China, though Plus might win
independently. This system mitigates potential safety and security risks out, building on the experience it is getting in the U.S. and Europe. The
caused by human errors or unauthorized access to an AV. Each system Chinese robotruck market is focused on L2+ testing because of current
operator can remotely monitor multiple vehicles simultaneously. regulations, as well as the opportunity to earn revenue by delivering
truckloads with lower costs than human-driven trucks.
Redundancy The U.S. robotruck market has focused on L4 testing with safety
Pony AI includes three layers of redundancy: normal operation mode, drivers and on delivering truckloads for a fee. This means that the U.S.
degraded safe mode, and minimal risk condition mode. The redundancy is ahead of China in L4 robotruck testing. With Aurora starting limited
allows an AV to continue to operate safely in the event of a system driverless robotruck deliveries in early May 2025, it is another indica-
failure or other unforeseen circumstances. tion that the U.S. is ahead of China.
In summary, Waymo is the current leader in robotaxi deployment,
PERSPECTIVES and Aurora is currently the leader in robotruck deployment. How-
Pony AI has a strong position in both robotaxis and robotrucks, and its ever, China has a larger number of AV players in both robotaxis and
IPO on the Nasdaq has made detailed information on its history, activi- robotrucks, and this trend will make for a competitive race in both
ties, technology, and projects available to the public. So how does segments. ■

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