Pony.ai announced on May 13 that its Robotaxi fleet will provide residents with all-weather, multi-scene and around-the-clock autonomous driving services in the core 150 kilometer service zone of the high-level autonomous driving demonstration area.

Pony.ai Robotaxi Service Fleet [Photo/kfqgw.beijing.gov.cn]

Pony.ai established its first domestic R&D center in the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area (BDA) in 2017, and today is truly engaged in large-scale operations. 

The company's rapid development was not only based on upgrading of its technologies, but also benefited from the support of policies in the BDA.

In April 2021, Beijing established a high-level autonomous driving demonstration zone. The BDA's 143 kilometers of highways and expressways, and an open test area of 225 square kilometers, enabling Pony.ai to provide passengers with autonomous driving services, and promoting the implementation of its smart logistics business.

According to Zhang Ning, vice president of Pony.ai, the vehicles just put into the Beijing Robotaxi service fleet are the first self-driving vehicles with standardized production.

Equipped with the latest generation of the PonyAlpha X system, each of these vehicles has four lidars, 4 millimeter-wave radars and seven cameras, and adopts multi-sensor fusion technology to ensure 360-degree safe driving without blind spots and corners.

The comprehensive expansion of open travel services in Beijing has achieved full coverage of the core operating area of 150 square kilometers in the high-level autonomous driving demonstration zone. 

The core operating area includes more than 150 train, bus and subway stations as well as parks, communities, sports centers, business circles and other scenarios.

Its operating hours last from 8:30 in the morning to 22:30 in the evening, and cover the morning and evening peaks and night hours so that autonomous vehicles can truly meet the travel needs of the public.

A Pony.ai self-driving vehicle in operation [Photo/kfqgw.beijing.gov.cn]