Pony.ai, a self-driving vehicle technology company, has partnered with SAIC AI Lab, a division of Chinese automaker SAIC Motor (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation), to jointly develop driverless vehicles pitched toward robotaxi services in China.

The two companies unveiled a concept vehicle based on the SAIC Marvel R model fitted with Pony.ai’s Level 4 autonomous driving software (i.e., fully autonomous vehicles limited to specific locations and/or conditions). The companies plan to build a fleet of cars in the future.

The concept car integrates Pony.ai’s latest generation self-driving technology and features a new streamlined compact design including an intelligent cockpit with a foldable steering wheel.

The companies will further collaborate on building automotive chassis, intelligent cockpit, human-machine interface, remote assistance, and other intelligent driving technologies.

Analyst QuickTake: Pony.ai first launched a robotaxi service in Jiading in Shanghai in July 2021 and since then has expanded to include other areas such as Guangzhou and Beijing in China. We believe Pony.ai’s collaboration with SAIC today will help the company further strengthen its footprint and market position in China in the future.