Monday, May 24, 2021

Robotaxi Company Pony.ai Gets Permits To Test Vehicles In Irvine

Pony.ai, a Chinese company developing driverless "robo-taxi" vehicles, has gained permission from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to test its vehicles on public roads in Irvine, along with Fremont and Milpitas. According to the DMV, the permit will allow the company to test six autonomous vehicles without a driver behind the wheel on specified streets within Fremont (Alameda County), Milpitas (Santa Clara County) and Irvine (Orange County). The tests must be conducted between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., at speed limits not to exceed 45 miles per hour in clear weather and light precipitation. The DMV says that 35 companies now have active permits for driverless vehicle testing in the state. Pony.ai already is listing a position for a "Self Driving Vehicle Operator" in its Irvine location.