The first mass-produced robotaxi from the collaboration between Toyota and Chinese autonomous vehicle company Pony.ai has rolled off the production line.

The bZ4X robotaxi marks a new phase of scaled production and commercial deployment for the Pony.ai and Toyota collaboration in development and operations. It also highlights synergy between the partners across autonomous driving technology, vehicle manufacturing and supply chain integration.

The companies plan to produce more than 1000 bZ4X robotaxis in 2026, with vehicles to be gradually introduced into commercial services across China’s major cities. This effort supports Pony.ai’s goal of expanding its total robotaxi fleet to more than 3000 vehicles by the end of this year.

The bZ4X was jointly developed by Pony.ai, and Japanese car maker Toyota. Production is carried out collaboratively by Pony.ai and GAC Toyota in Guangzhou at a plant operated by Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC, www.gacgroup.com).

The vehicle is equipped with Pony.ai’s seventh-generation autonomous driving system. Its core components are 100% automotive-grade, and the cost of the autonomous driving kit has been reduced by 70% compared with the previous generation. Pony.ai unveiled its three gen-seven robotaxis, including the bZ4X, in April last year. The other two models entered commercial service in November.

Generation seven enhance the rider experience with features including Bluetooth-based automatic vehicle unlocking, in-cabin voice interaction, online music services and pre-trip climate control, alongside refined acceleration and braking patterns to help reduce motion sickness.

To meet the safety and reliability requirements of robotaxi operations, the production line deeply integrates Toyota’s TPS production system, with dedicated production management, quality control and safety management.

This mass-production milestone for the bZ4X is the result of a long-term collaboration between Pony.ai and Toyota (global.toyota) that began in 2019. Since then, the partners advanced robotaxi product iteration and mass-production planning, and launched multiple robotaxi models based on Toyota vehicle platforms. In parallel, they established a joint venture dedicated to robotaxi design, manufacturing and operational support.