MILAN: Stellantis NV plans to team up with Chinese robotaxi operator Pony AI Inc to start testing autonomous vans in Luxembourg.
The agreement involves a battery-powered minivan as the initial fleet model for "accelerating the development and deployment of robotaxi solutions in Europe," the companies said Friday.
The pact marks the first time Pony AI, a Guangzhou-based startup backed by Toyota Motor Corp, is partnering with a major Western carmaker.
The trials, set to start "in the coming months," will be based on the eight-seater Peugeot e-Traveller.
The collaboration taps the companies' self-driving capabilities for Level 4 autonomous systems that enable a vehicle to perform all driving tasks within certain conditions, with human override still an option.
The pair said they plan a wider deployment of robotaxis to other European cities from next year.
Shares of Stellantis traded in New York rose 1.4% to US$10.37 (RM43.77) as of 9:45am, while Pony AI fell 2.7% to US$19.87 (RM83.87).
Pony AI is competing with a range of Chinese robotaxi operators like WeRide Inc and Baidu Inc's Apollo Go that are quickly expanding into international markets.
In September, Pony AI and WeRide partnered with local companies in Singapore to offer autonomous vehicles to consumers.
Alphabet Inc's Waymo, a sister company to Google, and Baidu's Apollo Go have plans to launch robotaxi services in London, while Uber Technologies Inc and Beijing Momenta Technology Co are expected to start tests in Munich from 2026.
