The two autonomous driving (AD) companies will operate robotaxis in Beijing without a safety driver in the driving seat.

For the first time ever, robotaxis will run on Chinese roads without a safety driver. Baidu (HKG: 9888) and Pony.ai received permits from the municipal government to operate their robotaxis within a 60 square kilometer (23 square miles) area in the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone. The rides may be offered to the general public without the need for a safety driver to be seated in the driving seat. (Reuters)

Though permitted, Pony.ai would still operate its robotaxis with a safety driver; though it is planning to start with four AD vehicles for the time being under the new authorization, it may expand the number in course of time.

Baidu would launch 10 self-driving vehicles in accordance with the new permit.

Pony.ai and Guangzhou license

Earlier this week, Pony.ai announced it received a license to operate 100 self-driving taxis within the entire 800 sq Kms of the city of Nansha, Guangzhou, with standard taxi pricing, and within designated operating hours.

These vehicles, too, would operate with a safety driver, though Pony said it expected to “remove the driver over the short to intermediate time frame.”

Pony.ai received the robotaxi fee-charging permit in Beijing in November 2021. “With successful commercialization in Beijing and Guangzhou, Pony.ai plans to expand its commercialized robotaxi footprint to the other two Tier-1 cities in China next year and to more cities by the start of Pony.ai’s mass commercialization planned for 2024/2025,” the company said in a statement.

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