Chinese robotaxi firms see eased regulatory bottleneck in Europe as deployment picks up

Europe embraces self-driving technology, opening up further opportunities for Chinese companies to expand overseas fleet, says Pony AI CEO

“Compared to last year, there is a clear increase in the openness towards autonomous driving and the willingness to gradually open up some areas for pilot projects in Europe to bolster commercial application,” he told reporters in an online media briefing on Tuesday.

Peng added that his autonomous driving technology company would deploy another “several hundred” vehicles on the streets outside mainland China before the end of 2026.

The CEO’s remarks came after Pony reported its total robotaxi fleet reached 1,975 vehicles on June 30. It aims to expand the global fleet to 3,500 cars at the end of 2026.

They are also seen by analysts and industry officials as China’s answer to US-based Waymo, the global leader in self-driving taxi services.

In the three months ending in June, Pony posted a net loss of US$45.4 million, narrowing 14.9 per cent from a year ago. Total revenue jumped 69 per cent to US$36.2 million while its robotaxi fleet generated sales of US$12.1 million in the same period, a year-on-year surge of 691 per cent.