While Toyota's all-electric SUV bZ4X has received polarized reviews in the consumer market, it has now found a brand new battleground – Robotaxi (self-driving taxi).
Bloomberg News reports that Toyota has partnered with self-driving technology startup Pony.ai to create...The first bZ4X RobotaxiThe vehicle has officially rolled off the production line, symbolizing that the cooperation between the two parties has entered the mass production stage. If all goes well, more than 1000 Toyota-manufactured self-driving taxis will be put into the Chinese market this year, with the goal of expanding to 3000 vehicles by the end of 2026.
Equipped with the Gen-7 autonomous driving system, it also features an "anti-motion sickness" mode.
This Robotaxi is a modified version of Toyota's all-electric SUV, the bZ4X. Unlike the commercially available version, the Pony.ai version is equipped with the company's latest seventh-generation (Gen-7) autonomous driving system. This system not only possesses Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities but also features numerous optimizations for "unmanned services."
• Bluetooth auto-unlock:Passengers can automatically unlock the car doors via Bluetooth using their mobile phones when they approach the vehicle.
• In-car voice interaction:Provides a more natural voice control interface.
• Anti-motion sickness braking mode:The system incorporates a special braking algorithm and integrates with online music services to reduce motion sickness for passengers during driving.
Pony.ai expands its reach, targeting first-tier cities in China.
Pony.ai plans to gradually integrate these bZ4X Robotaxi vehicles into its existing fleet and will provide commercial ride-hailing services in first-tier cities in China such as Beijing and Shanghai. Currently, Pony.ai already has two other models in operation, and the bZ4X will become one of its main vehicle types.
Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Silicon Valley and Guangzhou, Pony.ai obtained permission from Beijing to provide self-driving services to the public as early as 2022 and filed for an IPO in the United States in 2024. This in-depth collaboration with Toyota (with GAC Toyota handling production) demonstrates that the combination of traditional automakers and self-driving startups has matured.
