Chinese robotaxi firm Pony.ai gets boost from Tencent tie-up, offering services on WeChat
Pony.ai is gaining momentum through a new partnership with tech giant
Tencent Holdings , as it accelerates the commercialisation of autonomous driving amid intense domestic competition in the sector.
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Shares of Nasdaq-listed Pony.ai, which holds permits to test robotaxi services in Beijing and Guangzhou, surged 47 per cent on Monday after the announcement of its strategic partnership with Tencent's cloud computing unit. The collaboration is expected to provide Pony.ai with a financially robust ally capable of supporting its technology development and revenue growth.
According to Pony.ai, its robotaxi services will be integrated with Tencent's widely used super app WeChat and its online mapping service, Tencent Maps. The move, which gives Pony.ai access to more than a billion users on Tencent's platforms, is set to significantly boost the revenue potential of its robotaxi services.
The partnership would also encompass a testing and simulation platform that supported the entire life cycle of autonomous vehicle development, from AI model training to real-world deployment, Pony.ai said.
A Pony.ai robotaxi at the Shanghai Auto Show. Photo: AFP
Founded in 2016 by James Peng and Lou Tiancheng, Pony.ai is one of several Chinese companies, including Mogo Auto and WeRide, striving to monetise autonomous driving. In the last quarter of 2024, the company reported losses of US$181 million on revenue of US$35.5 million. Robotaxi revenue fell 62 per cent year on year to US$2.6 million.
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