Chinese regulators have granted online search company Baidu and Toyota-backed Pony.ai to deploy their autonomous vehicles without safety drivers in Beijing.

⠀

The permits allow the companies to offer rides with only a safety supervisor in the front passenger within a 23 square mile area in the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone. Pony.ai plans to deploy four driverless vehicles under the new permit and is expected to add more in the future.

⠀

“Pony.ai’s approval to operate driverless robotaxis in Beijing is a critical milestone in the transition from testing driverless autonomous vehicles within Pony.ai to offering driverless robotaxi rides to public passengers,” said James Peng, co-founder, and CEO of Pony.ai.

⠀

Anyone in the area can now order a driverless robotaxi from either company, where they will be eligible to be picked up or dropped off at locations including subway stations, parks, stadiums, business centres, and residential areas.

⠀

Pony.ai also obtained a taxi licence in Guangzhou last week, allowing 100 of its robotaxis to start charging fares for rides in the southern city's Nansha district.

⠀

For more from us at Waivly, join our free fun-to-read and to-the-point newsletter enjoyed by hundreds of people across the internet every day of the week 👇