Toyota China signed a partnership with Pony.ai and GAC Toyota to produce large-scale robotaxi based on Toyota EVs with an investment of US$139 million.
Heaptalk, Jakarta — Toyota Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd., known as Toyota China, declared the establishment of a joint venture on self-driving taxis (robotaxi) with Pony.ai and GAC Toyota Motor (08/04). With a total investment of over 1 billion yuan approximately US$139 million (US$1 equals 7.19 yuan), the joint venture will be set up this year to mass produce unmanned electric robotaxis.
In more detail, this collaboration includes the plan to launch a robotaxi vehicle based on the Toyota brand electric vehicle manufactured by GAC Toyota which is geared with a pre-collision system (PCS) with Toyota’s T-Pilot intelligent driving assistance system. The robotaxi will also adopt the Toyota Production System (TPS) and apply the mature service operation system of GAC Toyota dealers to oversee the entirely unmanned and safe operation of Pony.ai robotaxi.
According to the CEO of Toyota Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd. Tatsuro Ueda, China’s auto market is developing at an unprecedented speed with electrification and intelligence having become the development direction of the new energy vehicle industry. Seeing the reality, Toyota China and GAC Toyota jointly decided to establish a joint venture with Pony.ai as a valuable partner in developing autonomous driving.
The measure is taken as the company’s effort to take the lead in promoting the commercialization of robotaxi in China. Ueda emphasized that the agreement aims not only to carry out ‘Chinese-style inheritance and evolution’ but also a new step of business cooperation.
“We look forward to the early operation of the robotaxi provided by the joint venture company, providing safe and secure mobile travel services for the general public, and helping to realize the vision of a carbon-neutral society and Mobility for All,” Tatsuro said as cited from his official statement.
Collaborating since 2019 to develop autonomous vehicles
Meanwhile, co-founder and CEO of Pony.ai Peng Jun affirmed that autonomous driving technology has entered the full-scenario deployment stage and continues to gather momentum for the high-quality development of China’s intelligent networked car industry.
“The establishment of a joint venture between Toyota China, GAC Toyota, and Pony.ai will lead the unmanned, large-scale, and mass production of robotaxi. It will provide stable transportation capacity for autonomous driving travel services, facilitate the commercialization and sustainable development of high-level autonomous driving, help the development of the intelligent networked automobile industry enter a new stage, and contribute to Chinese society,” Jun explained.
Since 2019, Toyota has partnered with Pony.ai to jointly promote the development of high-level autonomous vehicles for mobile travel services in China. Currently, the partnership operates approximately 200 vehicles based on Lexus RX450h. The initial development used Toyota Sienna as the prototype. Through Pony.ai’s platform, robotaxi has provided self-driving mobile travel services in four major cities in China, covering Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Shanghai.
