Chinese robotaxi firms see reduced red tape in Europe as deployment picks up

The business environment for Chinese robotaxi operators in Europe has become more open over the past year, which would help Chinese firms to commercialise their self-driving technology worldwide, according to Pony AI founder and CEO James Peng. “Compared to last year, there is a clear increase in the openness towards autonomous driving and the willingness to gradually open up some areas for pilot projects in Europe to bolster commercial application,” he told reporters in an online media briefing on Tuesday. Peng added that his autonomous driving technology company would deploy another “several hundred” vehicles on the streets outside mainland China before the end of 2026. The CEO’s remarks came after Pony reported its total robotaxi fleet reached 1,975 vehicles on June 30. It aims to expand its global fleet to 3,500 cars by the end of 2026. Pony, Baidu subsidiary Apollo, WeRide and Momenta are viewed as China’s top self-driving tech firms, all of which have been operating driverless cabs on designated roads in cities across the globe. They are also seen by analysts and industry officials as China’s answer to US-based Waymo, the global leader in self-driving taxi services. In the three months ending in June, Pony posted a net loss of US$45.4 million, narrowing 14.9 per cent from a year ago. Total revenue jumped 69 per cent to US$36.2 million while its robotaxi fleet generated sales of US$12.1 million in the same period, a year-on-year surge of 691 per cent. Pony also offers intelligent solutions to its corporate clients and runs robo trucks. “We will continue to advance our full-year plans and are confident in our ability to exceed our full-year robotaxi services revenue target, with further progress in overseas commercialisation adding to our growth momentum,” Peng said. Pony recently signed a partnership agreement with ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis in Europe. Its total overseas deployment pipeline stood at 4,000 vehicles, Peng said. In July, Momenta received the regulatory approval to conduct nationwide urban road testing of its autonomous-driving systems in Germany. Chinese robotaxi firms are outpacing US competitors in offshore markets after successfully ramping up services at home, according to analysts, beginning trial runs of robotaxi services in Hong Kong, Singapore, Europe and the Middle East. The mainland would see 300,000 driverless cabs operate in its four top-tier cities – Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou – as early as 2030, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence and the increasing affordability of smart electric cars, according to UBS.