SHENZHEN, China, March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pony.ai (NASDAQ: PONY) became the first company authorized to operate paid fully-driverless robotaxis in Shenzhen's Nanshan District on March 27, marking a milestone as the city's inaugural permit for paid autonomous ride-hailing services within its city centers.
The company further solidifies its leadership by expanding commercial operations to connect Nanshan with its existing service zone in Baoan District, covering two of Shenzhen's most dynamic urban areas.
Nanshan District, Shenzhen's economic powerhouse with a GDP nearing RMB1 trillion in 2024 and close to 2 million residents, surpasses the population of cities like San Francisco. By deploying here, Pony.ai addresses the growing demand for smart mobility solutions in a district that blends rapid innovation with a high concentration of businesses and commuters.
This expansion builds on Pony.ai's successful launch of robotaxi services in Shenzhen's Baoan District in 2024, where more than 4 million people reside. The latest permit enables the company to establish Shenzhen's first cross-district driverless network, linking Nanshan's tech hubs (including Qianhai, Houhai, and Shenzhen Bay) with Baoan's central areas and critical infrastructure such as Shenzhen Baoan International Airport. Commuters now enjoy seamless connectivity between business, residential, and transport hubs.
Shenzhen's dense urban environment—characterized by tunnels, heavy traffic, narrow lanes, and irregular intersections—demands rigorous performance from autonomous technology. Pony.ai's fleet has demonstrated exceptional proficiency in these scenarios, underscoring the maturity and robustness of its systems.
The company continues to lead autonomous mobility innovation across China's tier-1 cities, with fully-driverless robotaxis in Beijing and Guangzhou averaged over 15 daily paid rides per vehicle in the first six months of 2024 as passenger confidence grows. To date, Pony.ai has accumulated nearly 45 million kilometers in autonomous testing, including 5 million kilometers in driverless mode.
James Peng, CEO of Pony.ai, emphasized: "Expanding our fully driverless commercial robotaxi services to the vibrant city centers of Shenzhen will accelerate public adoption, as well as inspire confidence and trust in fully driverless technology as we deploy its application to daily urban use cases."
Residents in authorized zones can book rides via Pony.ai's app or WeChat mini-program. Operating daily from 7:30 AM to 10:00 PM, the service provides a reliable, weather-resistant commute option, positioning itself as an "all-weather mobility assistant."
Through relentless technological innovation and real-world validation, Pony.ai is driving the transition toward a future where autonomous vehicles are integral to everyday life.
"As one of the few companies globally with fully driverless autonomous driving solutions, we remain firmly focused on scaling our robotaxi operations and guiding the industry into its next phase of development," said James Peng.
Media Contact: media@pony.ai
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Pony.ai Wins First Permit for Fully Driverless Robotaxi Operation in Shenzhen's City Centers
WEIMAR, Germany, March 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 26th, Wanhua Chemical Group Battery Technology Co., Ltd ("Wanhua Chemical") and IBU-tec ( "IBU-tec"), the leading European manufacturer of lithium iron phosphate materials, successfully held a signing ceremony for the Joint Research and Development Agreement (JDA) in Weimar, Germany. The partnership with IBU-tec does not affect the progress of concrete talks with further companies on far-reaching cooperation, which Wanhua Chemical is currently conducting.
Within the framework of the partnership, IBU-tec and Wanhua Chemical will carry out a scale-up towards the industrial scale in the coming months. The partners expect to have reliable results in the third quarter of the current year as to whether the joint development will meet market requirements in Europe and North America. If this is the case, it will open up extensive potential for the production of an LFP cathode material in Germany that would be part of a European value chain in the battery sector.
Dr. Hua Weiqi, Executive Vice President of Wanhua Chemical, Mr. Wang Xiaoxing, General Manager of Wanhua Battery Industry Company Limited, Mr. Jörg Leinenbach, CEO of IBU-tec and Mr. Ulrich Weitz, CPO of IBU-tec, attended the signing ceremony. This event marks the formal opening of the in-depth cooperation between the two parties in the field of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) materials.
In the field of battery materials, lithium iron phosphate has gradually become a mainstream product in the new energy automobile and energy storage market with its advantages of high safety and long cycle life. In recent years, Wanhua Chemical has established a technology platform integrating battery material technology development, equipment technology development, and electric core application technology research, and its lithium iron phosphate products have been upgraded continuously. In this cooperation, the company will establish a local supply chain to supply LFP materials to European customers.
Dr. Hua Weiqi said: LFP shows the dominant position (almost 80% share in EV in Chinese market), and is almost the only commercially available solution for energy storage. Wanhua Chemical adheres to the globalization strategy and has set up 7 R&D centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Hungary, Spain, etc., 9 production bases and more than 10 overseas sales organizations, and IBU-tec, as a local German Li-ion material factory, focuses on the R&D and production of LFP, and owns a mature R&D and production system.
In the future, the two sides will also discuss the establishment of a joint laboratory in Europe, to begin cooperation in the field of battery innovation and R&D, to provide strong local R & D support for the development of the European battery industry.
About Wanhua Chemical:
Wanhua Chemical is a globally operated chemical new materials company, ranking 16th of C&EN's Global Top 50 chemical companies, with over 30000 employees worldwide. Its business covers polyurethanes, petrochemicals, performance chemicals, emerging materials and future industries. The industries include homeware and furniture, sports and leisure, automobiles and transportation, building and construction, electronics and electrical appliances, personal care, and green energy.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Wanhua Chmeical and IBU-tec signed a Joint Development Agreement for the development of a European LFP battery material, creating the basis for a European value chain in the battery sector
Wanhua Chmeical and IBU-tec signed a Joint Development Agreement for the development of a European LFP battery material, creating the basis for a European value chain in the battery sector
