Pony.ai-Lexus-Rx-1
A Pony.ai Lexus autonomous vehicle. Credit: Pony.ai.

Autonomous vehicle company Pony.ai has launched an autonomous driving platform in collaboration with Luminar Technologies.

US-based autonomous vehicle company Pony.ai has said that its next-generation technology for ‘robotaxis’ will feature light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems made by Luminar.

With a fleet of almost 200 autonomous vehicles, Pony.ai offers robotaxi services in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing, China, as well as Irvine and Fremont, California.

The company plans to deploy automotive-grade production autonomous fleets across the world in 2023.

Pony.ai founder and CEO James Peng said: “Partnering with Luminar is a critical enabling milestone for Pony.ai as we build our next-generation system and prepare for large-scale series production.

“Luminar is in a league of their own when it comes to lidar and shares our belief that delivering autonomous mobility globally will enable a safe and sustainable future. We’re excited to realise that vision together with them.”

Four Luminar Iris LiDAR systems, which each measure around 10cm in height, will be mounted on the roofs of new robotaxis for 360-degree views.

The partnership aims to encourage safe autonomous driving in complex urban environments.

Luminar founder and CEO Austin Russell said: “Pony.ai’s vision to create a dynamic, vehicle-agnostic autonomous driving system is very impressive, and it has already demonstrated a clear leadership position for robotaxi development in China and beyond.

“We’re leveraging the full extent of the technology and product development work we’ve accomplished over the years and directly re-applying it to Pony.ai’s platform and fleet.

“This partnership marks a significant milestone towards the realisation of safe autonomous Robotaxi services in the coming years.”

In February, Pony.ai raised $100m through its Series C extension round for advancing its autonomous vehicle technology.

Founded in late 2016, the company focuses on developing Level 4-standard autonomous driving technology, in which the self-driving vehicle can handle almost all driving situations independently.