BEIJING — Self-driving tech start-up Pony.ai introduced Thursday it plans to mass produce autonomous driving vehicles in China with tools manufacturing big Sany Heavy Business.
Annual manufacturing is about to attain about 10,000 vehicles “within a few years,” in accordance to a press launch. Small-scale deliveries are set to start this 12 months and subsequent, with mass manufacturing due to begin in 2024.
The vehicles are slated to include “Level 4” autonomous driving expertise, which might enable full self-driving on highways and concrete roads, in accordance to Pony.ai. “L4” is a part of an trade classification system that designates full self-driving below particular circumstances.
Beneath present guidelines in China, the robotrucks will not have the opportunity to function absolutely autonomously.
Pony.ai mentioned it solely has testing permits in Beijing and Guangzhou for autonomous vehicles. However the company mentioned it expects to function L4 vehicles in China as rules develop.
Pony.ai’s autonomous driving system makes use of the Nvidia Drive Orin chip, related to a number of Chinese language electrical automobile corporations that provide drivers assisted-driving expertise.
Some, however not all, of the deliberate vehicles will likely be “new energy vehicles,” a class that features electrical automobiles.
Pony.ai declined Thursday to share extra details about value per truck and whether or not the vehicles would solely be accessible in China.
Sany has workplaces globally, whereas Pony.ai additionally operates in the U.S. The robotruck mass manufacturing deal is a part of a strategic three way partnership between Pony.ai and Sany Heavy Truck, a Sany subsidiary.
Analysts typically count on robotrucks to take off extra shortly than robotaxis due to the extra uniform nature of truck routes alongside highways. Each day truck drives sometimes final for hours versus far shorter taxi rides.
