Shanghai's driverless taxi launches trial services following issuance of China's first demonstration licenses   2025-08-05

A passenger steps out of a Pony.ai's autonomous vehicle. 

Amid Shanghai's stepped-up efforts to promote the trial operation of driverless taxis, Chinese companies that gained the first batch of smart connected vehicle demonstration operation licenses at the end of July have officially started putting the services into operation. 

China's autonomous driving start-up Pony.ai said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Monday that as of August 1, residents of Shanghai's Pudong New Area could start taking the company's fully autonomous Robotaxi. 

Pony.ai, in collaboration with Shanghai Jinjiang Taxi, has launched a regular Robotaxi service for the public in Pudong's Jinqiao and Huamu areas. From Monday to Friday, local residents can book a Robotaxi via the Pony.ai mobile app or mini-program as a convenient transportation option from 7:30 am to 9:30 pm. 

At the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in July, a new batch of intelligent connected vehicle demonstration operation licenses was officially issued to eight companies. These licenses cover two major sectors: intelligent taxis and intelligent freight. The companies granted these licenses can now operate driverless vehicles in pilot areas, a significant advancement from Shanghai's previous pilot areas and vehicles, which all required a driver in the main seat, according to media reports. 

In addition to Pony.ai, relevant companies such as Baidu's autonomous driving branch Apollo Go and IM Motors under SAIC Motor will also launch paid operation services for Robotaxi in the near future, Shanghai Observer reported.  

A relevant official from the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization said that the open areas for autonomous driving will be gradually expanded in an orderly manner. The goal is to achieve full coverage in the Pudong New Area, while simultaneously promoting the opening of areas such as Fengxian and Minhang, and connecting the open roads across Shanghai's four major testing zones, according to a report from the Shanghai Securities News. 

According to the report, a payment notification for an autonomous taxi order via Pony.ai showed a total fare of 16.8 yuan ($2.33) for a trip of about 5 kilometers that takes 15 minutes, and a first-ride discount of 2.3 yuan.

In July, Shanghai released an action plan to build a leading zone for high-level autonomous driving, which aims to see Level 4 autonomous vehicles make more than 6 million passenger trips by 2027 and open more than 5,000 kilometers of roads for autonomous driving, along with other goals, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

China boasts advantages of autonomous driving in a large-scale industrial chain and sizable industrial players with a strong research and development capability. Despite a relatively slow start compared with the US, the country's technologies have been catching up rapidly and are on par with globally advanced standards, Zhang Xiang, secretary-general of the International Intelligent Vehicle Engineering Association, told the Global Times. 

According to a report by Goldman Sachs, China's robotaxi market is projected to grow from $54 million in 2025 to $12 billion by 2030, eventually reaching $47 billion by 2035, with a compound annual growth rate exceeding 96 percent.

Source:Global Times