Toyota and Ponyai deepen strategic cooperation, plan to establish a joint venture company for Robotaxi

Toyota and Ponyai deepen strategic cooperation, plan joint venture for Robotaxi

【Phoneauto News】On August 4, 2023, Toyota Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Toyota China”) signed an agreement with Pony.ai and GAC Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “GAC Toyota”) to establish a joint venture company for autonomous driving taxis (Robotaxi).

Signing ceremony

It is reported that the joint venture company will be established within this year, with a total investment expected to exceed 1 billion RMB. The company plans to launch Robotaxi vehicles based on Toyota brand pure electric vehicles produced by GAC Toyota, equipped with Toyota T-Pilot intelligent driving assistance system and PCS (Pre-Collision Safety System) function. It will also fully leverage the advantages of Toyota Production System (TPS) and leverage the mature service operation system of GAC Toyota dealers to ensure the safe operation of Pony.ai’s fully autonomous Robotaxi.

Toyota China Chief of China Office – Tatsuro Ueda

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In response, Tatsuro Ueda, Chief of China Office, Toyota Motor Corporation, said, “The Chinese automotive market is developing at an unprecedented speed, with electrification and intelligentization becoming the direction of development for the new energy vehicle industry. In this context, Toyota China and GAC Toyota have jointly decided to establish a joint venture company with Pony.ai, an important partner in the field of autonomous driving, to promote the commercialization of Robotaxi in China. This is not only an important measure for Toyota to carry out ‘Chinese-style inheritance and evolution’, but also a new step in business cooperation with Pony.ai. We look forward to the early operation of Robotaxi provided by the joint venture company, providing safe and secure mobile travel services for the general public, and helping to achieve a carbon-neutral society and the vision of ‘Mobility for All’.”

Co-founder and CEO of Pony.ai – Peng Jun

Pony.ai’s co-founder and CEO Peng Jun said, “Autonomous driving technology has now entered the stage of full-scale implementation, continuously accumulating momentum for the high-quality development of China’s intelligent connected vehicle industry. Toyota is an internationally renowned car manufacturer. Previously, Pony.ai had a pleasant cooperation experience with Toyota in the field of autonomous driving. This time, Toyota China, GAC Toyota, and Pony.ai jointly established a joint venture company, which will lead the high-quality development trend of Robotaxi in terms of unmanned, large-scale, and mass production, provide stable capacity for autonomous driving travel services, and facilitate the commercialization and continuous development of advanced-level autonomous driving, helping the development of the intelligent connected vehicle industry enter a new stage and contribute to Chinese society.”

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