SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pony.ai, a global leader in the large-scale commercialization of autonomous mobility, today announced that it has been granted Shenzhen's first citywide permit for fully driverless commercial robotaxi operations, paving the way for scalable driverless commercial operations across one of China's most innovative cities.
The permit was jointly granted to Pony.ai and Shenzhen Xihu Corporation Limited ("Xihu Group"), the city's largest taxi operator. This authorization allows the two companies to operate fully driverless robotaxis throughout Shenzhen, offering services to residents and visitors in one of China's leading technology and innovation hubs. Operations will begin in Nanshan, Qianhai and Baoan areas, before gradually expanding to other districts across the city.
Bordering Hong Kong, Shenzhen is one of China's largest and most dynamic metropolitan areas-spanning nearly 2,000 square kilometers, larger than London, and home to 17.8 million residents, surpassing the population of New York City. As "China's Silicon Valley," the city boasts a thriving technology ecosystem led by companies such as Tencent and BYD, as well as a highly active transportation network. The scale, density, and innovation of Shenzhen's mobility market make this citywide permit a significant milestone, underscoring the strong commercial potential of fully driverless operations in large urban environments.
Pony.ai and Xihu Group established their strategic partnership in June 2025 and plan to deploy over 1,000 units of Pony.ai's seventh-generation ("Gen-7") robotaxis in Shenzhen over the next few years. Following the acquisition of this new permit, the companies will soon begin deploying Gen-7 robotaxis into fully driverless commercial service.
"The launch of this project marks the official implementation of Pony.ai's 'asset-light + AI-empowered' commercialization model," said Dr. James Peng, Founder and CEO of Pony.ai. "By focusing on core technology innovation, Pony.ai empowers traditional transportation operators to achieve intelligent transformation, paving the way for a scalable and replicable commercialization model for autonomous driving."
The partnership between Pony.ai and Xihu Group will continue to deepen under an "asset-light + AI-empowered" model, which sets a strong foundation for the scalable commercialization of driverless mobility. Under this model, Xihu Group will contribute its extensive experience in fleet management, safety operations, and service assurance, while also sharing in the economic benefits of commercialization. Pony.ai, meanwhile, will focus on advancing AI-driven technologies and scalable robotaxi dispatch operations-creating a synergistic, win-win collaboration that accelerates the citywide deployment of autonomous mobility.
As a global pioneer in autonomous driving, Pony.ai has accumulated more than 55 million kilometers of autonomous testing worldwide. It is also the only company authorized to operate fully driverless commercial robotaxi services across all four of China's Tier-1 cities-Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. The company currently has a fleet of over 720 robotaxis and is on track to expand that number to 1,000 by the end of this year.
SOURCE Pony.ai
