Pony.ai, a China and US-based self-driving vehicle technology company, partnered with Horizon Robotics, a China-based provider of computing solutions for smart vehicles, to develop high-performance and cost-effective smart driving solutions for auto automotive OEMs for series production vehicles.

Accordingly, Pony.ai will combine its Level 2++ driving solutions equipped with cameras and radars (i.e., Level 2 refers to vehicles that can control both the speed and the steering, but a safety driver must maintain full vigilance) with Horizon Robotics “Journey” series automotive grade processors to develop smart driving solutions.

A highway navigate on autopilot (NOA) feature based on a single “Journey 5” platform completed its prototype testing in China in 2022, and is expected to be series production-ready by Q2 2023. A similar solution based on a dual “Journey 5” platform is also expected to go to market later this year.

Analyst QuickTake: Pony.ai’s efforts to develop L2++ smart driving solutions started back in 2020, and it established a dedicated department to develop advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for passenger vehicle OEMs in November last year.