Pony.ai, CATL partner on first L4 electric light truck

Pony.ai is targeting a total vehicle cost of below CN¥230,000 (~US$33,700) for its 2027 Robotaxi in China, covering both the base vehicle and the autonomous driving kit. The self-driving firm outlined the target alongside a new Level 4 (L4) electric light-duty truck at Auto China 2026 in Beijing.

The Gen-7 Robotaxi fleet has grown from 270 vehicles to more than 1,400 since last year, supported by a 70% reduction in bill-of-materials cost for the autonomous driving kit. Pony.ai has reached unit-economics breakeven in two of Southern China’s largest cities, and its registered user base has passed one million.

The firm plans to operate more than 3,000 Robotaxis across 20 cities globally by end-2026, with nearly half of that footprint in overseas markets. Pony.ai’s Gen-7 bZ4X Robotaxi, developed with Toyota, has received road-testing approval in Guangzhou, with 1,000 units set to deploy across tier-one Chinese cities this year.

The L4 electric light-duty truck, developed with battery maker CATL, is billed as the world’s first fully redundant automotive-grade truck purpose-built for Level 4 driving. Built on CATL’s Kunshi chassis, it offers 18 cubic metres of cargo capacity and is projected to cut freight cost per kilometre by 40% to 50%.

In a statement, Dr James Peng, Founder and Chief Executive of Pony.ai, said: “Today, the question is no longer whether Robotaxi can work. The focus is how to scale it safely, efficiently and at the right cost.”

Source: Pony.ai