200 Chinese Robotaxis to Enter the Korean Market... Goal Is Full Autonomous Driving by 2028

[Financial News] Pony.ai, a Chinese autonomous driving company, will enter the Korean market with its robotaxis. Through a partnership with domestic autonomous driving company FutureLink, 200 seventh-generation Pony.ai robotaxis will be introduced in Korea by 2028.
The vehicles will be deployed across Seoul. To secure domestic vehicle certification, 10 units will be brought in first, and the remaining 190 will be introduced gradually once certification is completed.
In response to concerns over the entry of a Chinese autonomous driving company into the Korean market, FutureLink said the technological cooperation between the two companies would strengthen industrial competitiveness.
According to FutureLink on the 30th, the two companies signed a "strategic cooperation agreement" on the 28th at Conrad Seoul Hotel in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul.
The agreement centers on introducing and operating 200 seventh-generation Pony.ai robotaxis in Korea by 2028 and establishing a domestic joint venture. A separate master contract for the vehicle supply will be signed later.
The two companies will move from technology verification in Gangnam Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Zone in Seoul to actual commercial service. FutureLink has been conducting day and night demonstrations in the Gangnam area with vehicles equipped with Pony.ai's autonomous driving development kit. The agreement means the companies will now move from accumulated testing results to providing officially certified vehicles to the public.
Moon Hyun-wook, head of FutureLink's business strategy team, said, "We plan to import 10 vehicles for certification first, and bring in the remaining 190 after certification is completed." He added, "Given the pace of expansion of autonomous vehicle pilot zones this year, we believe 200 robotaxis could be operating across Seoul in 2028."
After completing vehicle certification, the two companies also plan to establish a joint venture. Pony.ai will supply autonomous driving technology and vehicles, while FutureLink will handle vehicle and service operations, data management, map building, and localization of the technology.
The autonomous vehicles to be introduced in Korea are based on Pony.ai's seventh-generation robotaxi platform and the ARCFOX Alpha T5, a midsize electric SUV from BAIC Group. Pony.ai is mass-producing its seventh-generation robotaxis using this model, along with the Toyota bZ4X and the Aion V from GAC Group.
The seventh-generation robotaxi is not a retrofit that adds sensors and autonomous driving equipment to an existing vehicle. Instead, it is designed for autonomous driving from the production stage.
FutureLink said that when the service is first launched in Korea, the vehicles will operate with safety drivers on board before gradually shifting to a fully driverless service.
The company also plans to cooperate with the existing taxi industry. Before full driverless operation, it is considering options such as having taxi drivers serve as safety drivers or having taxi companies manage the vehicles.
James Peng, co-founder and CEO of Pony.ai, said, "Our ultimate goal is to introduce autonomous vehicles to the Korean market." He added, "Vehicle certification is the first step toward commercialization, and once certification is complete, we plan to deploy fully driverless robotaxis on Korean roads."
Regarding concerns over the entry of Chinese autonomous driving companies into Korea, Nam Kyung-pil, chairman of FutureLink, said, "Protecting the industry is not the only important thing. The best way is to build competitiveness through competition." He added, "If we introduce Pony.ai's advanced technology to Korea and work together to expand localization, it could help not only FutureLink but also the development of Korea's entire autonomous driving industry."

[email protected] Kim Hak-jae Reporter