Chinese autonomous vehicle company Pony.ai presented ambitious expansion plans in connection with its quarterly report on Tuesday. The goal is to triple the number of robotaxi vehicles to over 3,000 before the end of 2026.
Pony.ai currently operates 961 robotaxis and aims to reach 1,000 vehicles by year-end. The aggressive expansion is enabled by a technical breakthrough where the company's seventh-generation robotaxi has achieved city-level profitability in Guangzhou, southern China.
Just two weeks after the commercial launch in the city, each Gen-7 vehicle averages 23 orders per day. Material costs for the autonomous systems have dropped by 70 percent compared to the previous generation, with an additional 20 percent reduction planned for 2026.
Driverless operations in Shanghai
The company offers commercial robotaxi services in the major Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. In Shanghai, Pony.ai became the first company in July to launch fully driverless commercial robotaxis, initially in the Pudong district areas of Jinqiao and Huamu.
To accelerate expansion, Pony.ai has established partnerships with Xihu Group and Sunlight Mobility, where partners finance vehicle purchases while the company provides the technology. The model reduces capital requirements and enables faster growth.
Global reach
Beyond its home market, Pony.ai is expanding to eight countries, including Qatar and Singapore. Partnerships with the global ride-sharing platforms Bolt and Uber will facilitate its establishment in new markets.
In parallel, the company is developing self-driving trucks together with SANY Truck. The fourth-generation Robotruck is designed for mass production with the first fleet rollout planned for 2026.
During the third quarter, the company's revenue increased significantly, driven primarily by growing demand for robotaxi services in China's major cities.
Ordering and riding in a self-driving taxi from Pony.ai doesn't differ much from ordering a regular taxi – except that no one is sitting behind the wheel when the car pulls up.
The journey begins in the company's app PonyPilot or via a mini-program in the Chinese messaging app WeChat. Prices are equivalent to regular taxi fares in each respective city, and the service is available daily between 7:30 AM and 10:00 PM. When the car approaches, it automatically identifies the passenger via Bluetooth and unlocks the doors.
Before getting in, you can adjust the air conditioning via the app. Once inside the car, you sit down, fasten your seatbelt, and say aloud "start trip" to begin the journey. A screen in the car displays travel information, music selection, and climate controls in one place.
During the ride, 34 sensors – including nine LiDAR units, 14 cameras, and four millimeter-wave radars – monitor the surroundings in 360 degrees with a range of up to 650 meters. The technology enables the car to navigate through dense city traffic, tunnels, and complex intersections.
From a central monitoring center, a single person can simultaneously track up to a dozen cars and intervene if necessary, even though the cars are completely driverless in traffic.
Since the robotaxi cars require an app for booking and don't accept cash payments, this means – like many other modern collective transportation services – that the journey is tracked/recorded and cannot be made anonymously. However, it's usually possible to hail a regular taxi on the street in China and pay cash for those who prefer that option.
