Robotaxi operator Pony.ai has secured a license from the Guangzhou government to test a small fleet of driverless trucks on the city’s public roads, marking the Toyota-backed startup’s latest effort to pave the way for large-scale operations of its autonomous freight services, reports Caixin. Five trucks powered by Level 4 self-driving technology have been licensed for the test, under which one will lead the convoy with the other four following, according to a company statement on Wednesday. Pony.ai said this can help improve transport efficiency and lower operating costs.
Level 4 technology is the second-highest level of self-driving capability, which allows a car to run almost entirely without human intervention in most cases. Formation driving tests the efficiency of communication between vehicles in the fleet and requires strict uniformity among them, an industry expert told Caixin.
Differences in the conditions and braking capabilities between the vehicles could easily cause asynchronous braking, leading to accidents, the expert said.