Pony.ai to start robotaxi trials with Dubai RTA this year
Chinese robotaxi pioneer to enters Dubai market following RTA MoU
#UAE #AVs - Pony.ai has signed a memorandum of understanding with Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to deploy its seventh-generation robotaxi fleet in the emirate, according to an announcement from the Chinese autonomous driving company. The partnership supports Dubai's ambitious target to convert 25% of all city journeys to autonomous transport by 2030, with supervised trials beginning in 2025 and fully driverless operations launching in 2026. Pony.ai is planning a global fleet expansion to thousands of vehicles within two years.
SO WHAT? - This is the third agreement signed by Dubai RTA with an autonomous vehicle services company this year, following similar deals with Baidu’s Apollo Go and WeRide. The move doubles down on the RTA’s multi-vendor strategy, following it’s exclusive partnership with General Motors’ ill-fated Cruise, which shut down by the automotive giant in 2024. Apollo Go, Pony.ai and WeRide all expect to begin trials by the end of 2025, accelerating Dubai’s driverless transport plans.
Here are some key details about the Pony.ai announcement:
Pony.ai has announced the signing a memorandum of understanding with Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to deploy its seventh-generation robotaxi fleet in the emirate, beginning with driver-supervised trials in 2025.
Pony.ai's seventh-generation autonomous driving system achieves 70% cost reduction in hardware components whilst meeting automotive-grade standards for complex urban environments
The NASDAQ-listed company operates over 250 robotaxis across Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, accumulating nearly 40 million autonomous kilometres on public roads
Dubai's 2030 Smart City Vision targets 25% of all transportation journeys to utilise autonomous vehicles, requiring substantial fleet deployment over the next five years
Mass production of seventh-generation robotaxis begins in second half of 2025 through partnerships with Toyota, GAC Motor, and BAIC Motor manufacturing partners
Initial supervised trials commence in 2025, progressing to fully autonomous operations in 2026 as part of phased deployment strategy across Dubai's urban landscape
Pony.ai has secured robotaxi testing permits across four major global markets including the United States, China, South Korea, and Luxembourg jurisdictions
The company operates fully automated systems from vehicle dispatch to service completion, demonstrated at major transport hubs including Beijing South Railway Station
Long-term integration plans encompass Dubai's multimodal transport network including metro, tram, and maritime routes for comprehensive mobility solutions
ZOOM OUT - In 2023, Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) signed an MoU with a number of autonomous vehicle companies including Pony.ai on behalf of the new Smart & Autonomous Vehicle Industry cluster (SAVI) at Masdar City. SAVI was launched with a plan to develop an extensive multi-modal cluster designed to transform the development of smart and autonomous vehicles across air, land and sea. The cluster could create 30,000 to 50,000 jobs and contribute AED 90 billion ($24.5b) to AED 120 billion ($32.67b) to the UAE economy. AV companies, such as Pony.ai have access to the Yas Island testing zone to test and trial driverless taxi services.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Read more about the UAE’s driverless vehicle journey:
WeRide launches first fully driverless taxis in ME (Middle East AI News)
RTA, Uber & WeRide partner for Dubai robotaxi services (Middle East AI News)
Baidu's Apollo Go to expand robotaxi services to UAE (Middle East AI News)
New ATRC venture to transform vehicles into AVs (Middle East AI News)
Abu Dhabi confirms anchor deals for SAVI (Middle East AI News)