---
title: "Startup Pony.ai Launches Autonomous Ride-Sharing Pilot in China"
description: "Pony.ai is demonstrating self-driving cars near its Chinese headquarters."
date: "2018-02-28"
modified: "2018-02-28"
authors:
  - name: "Stephen Edelstein"
    job_title: "Weekend Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/stephen-edelstein"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/tech/18871/startup-pony-ai-launches-autonomous-ride-sharing-pilot-in-china"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Autonomous Cars"
  - "China"
  - "GAC Motor"
  - "ride sharing"
  - "self-driving cars"
---

# Startup Pony.ai Launches Autonomous Ride-Sharing Pilot in China

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/02/pony_car_outside_1-1.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Pony.ai is the latest company to launch a ride-sharing service using self-driving cars. The startup recently launched a ride-sharing pilot on a 1.7-mile route near its Chinese headquarters in Nansha, Guangzhou.

It's a relatively small-scale effort, but impressive considering that Pony.ai is relatively new to the autonomous-driving game. The startup, which has dual headquarters in China and Fremont, California, was founded in 2016, and said it had only tested its self-driving cars on public roads for three months before launching the ride-sharing service.

The current fleet includes four Lincoln MKZ sedans and two GAC Chuanqi crossovers. Pony.ai recently signed an agreement with GAC to collaborate on autonomous-driving tech, so the Chinese automaker's cars will likely make up the bulk of its fleet as it scales up.

Two larger tech companies, [Baidu and Shouqi](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/15589/baidu-teams-with-chinese-state-backed-ride-sharing-service-on-self-driving-cars>), previously announced plans to team up on an autonomous ride-sharing service in China, but Pony.ai seems to have beaten them to the punch. However, the startup is far from the only company to launch a small-scale autonomous ride-sharing pilot.

NuTonomy began giving rides in self-driving cars in Singapore about two years ago, and [it's now working with Lyft](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/16779/lyft-finally-launches-its-boston-self-driving-car-pilot-program>) on a demonstration project in Boston. Waymo self-driving cars are currently giving rides to members of the public in Arizona, and Nissan will conduct a brief autonomous ride-sharing pilot program [in Japan](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/18740/nissan-self-driving-cars-are-ready-to-pick-up-passengers-in-japan>) in March.

The goal is to create a robotic version of Uber, but that depends on regulations and the public's willingness to ride in autonomous cars. When it comes to the latter, China may be a better place to start than other countries. [A recent study](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/18626/chinese-consumers-are-twice-as-trusting-of-autonomous-cars-as-americans-study-says>) found that Chinese consumers are more willing to trust self-driving cars than their counterparts in both the United States and Germany.

## Author
Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he's not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/SAEdelstein>)