Toyota's all-electric model, the bZ4X, hasn't exactly brought much joy to the brand so far. However, Chinese robotaxi company Pony.ai has partnered with Toyota to begin mass production of bZ4X-based robotaxis. This year, more than 1,000 vehicles are planned for production for Pony.ai's fleet.
Toyota and Pony.ai's Robotaxi Move
The bZ4X was launched in 2022. As part of a technical update carried out in the summer of 2025, the vehicle received significant improvements, including revised electric axles and the use of silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors in its power electronics. The bZ4X, which comes standard with a 163 kW electric motor, is also offered in a more powerful dual-motor version.
The robotaxi version entering production in China is not being manufactured at Toyota's Motomachi plant in Japan, where bZ4Xs for the global market are produced. Instead, it is being manufactured by GAC Toyota, a joint venture between Toyota and Chinese manufacturer GAC. This facility, located in Guangzhou, where GAC's headquarters are situated, serves as the hub for robotaxi production.
Toyota invested $400 million in Pony.ai in 2020. In 2023, the parties further deepened their collaboration by forming a joint venture for GAC Toyota to produce Toyota-branded battery electric vehicles, which would then be equipped with Level 4 autonomous driving technology by Pony.ai. With mass production commencing today, this vision has become a reality. The electric vehicles produced will operate on Pony.ai's robotaxi network platform called PonyPilot+.
More than 1,000 robotaxis to be produced by GAC Toyota this year will be gradually put into commercial operation in China's tier-one cities: Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. This expansion aims to increase Pony.ai's robotaxi fleet to over 3,000 vehicles by the end of the year.
The vehicles are equipped with Pony.ai's latest seventh-generation (Gen-7) autonomous driving system. According to the company's statement, the core components of the system fully comply with automotive standards, and the material costs of the autonomous driving system have been reduced by 70 percent compared to the previous generation. The robotaxis feature a total of 34 sensors: 9 LiDAR, 14 cameras, and 4 millimeter-wave radars. This sensor package provides 360-degree environmental perception and long-range detection capabilities up to 650 meters.
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