Toyota and Pony.ai have begun mass production of bZ4X robotaxis in China, with the first vehicle rolling off the assembly line. The companies plan to produce more than 1,000 autonomous bZ4X vehicles this year as part of their partnership to expand self-driving services in major Chinese cities.

This marks a significant expansion of Pony.ai's autonomous fleet, which already operates two other vehicle models in Beijing and Shanghai. The bZ4X robotaxis will be gradually integrated into the company's ride-hailing service, bringing them closer to their goal of operating 3,000 vehicles by the end of 2026. The electric bZ4X, originally introduced by Toyota last year, has been modified with Pony.ai's Gen-7 autonomous driving system.

The autonomous version features Bluetooth-based automatic vehicle unlocking, in-cabin voice interaction, and integrated music services. Special braking patterns aim to minimize motion sickness for passengers. Founded in 2016, Pony.ai received permission from Beijing to offer self-driving services to the public in 2022 and filed for a US IPO in 2024, demonstrating the company's rapid growth in China's competitive autonomous vehicle market.