Autonomous vehicle startup Pony.ai has been awarded a permit in Guangzhou to operate 100 robotaxis as traditional taxis. The license, which allows Pony to charge for rides in its autonomous vehicles, signifies another step on the path to commercializing autonomous ride-hail vehicles in China.
WeRide, one of Pony’s competitors in China, has been running a partnered service with Guangzhou’s government-backed taxi group Baiyun since 2019, which has given the company an early mover advantage on the path to commercialization. However, this is said to be the first time China has rolled out a taxi license dedicated to an autonomous ride-hail fleet, without the need to partner up with a traditional taxi operator. The license also subjects Pony’s fleets to the same rules that regulate traditional human-operated cabs.Â
“The inclusion of autonomous vehicles in the unified and standardized …
