Pony.ai Unveils New Gen-4 Robotruck in Collaboration with GAC Commercial Vehicle

Pony.ai and GAC Commercial Vehicle move their autonomous T9 Robotruck toward volume production with lower system and operating costs.

Rhea-AI Summary

Pony.ai (PONY) unveiled a new Gen-4 Level 4 autonomous heavy-duty Robotruck, co-developed with GAC Commercial Vehicle, at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 in Hannover.

The truck is built on GAC Commercial Vehicle’s T9 battery-electric platform and integrates Pony.ai’s Gen-4 L4 system with a fully redundant drive-by-wire chassis. Its automotive-grade autonomous driving kit, using nine lidars, three millimeter-wave radars and 13 cameras, delivers 360-degree coverage and has a bill-of-materials cost 70% lower than the previous generation. Transportation costs per ton-kilometer are expected to fall 30%, and energy consumption 10%, with volume production scheduled to start later this year.

Positive

• ADK bill-of-materials cost reduced by 70% versus previous generation
• Transportation cost per ton-kilometer expected to decline by 30%
• Energy consumption expected to fall 10% versus conventional trucks
• Rapid development: testing and validation completed within five months of April 16 agreement
• Planned international expansion of Robotruck business to Europe and the Middle East within two years

Negative

• None.

Key Figures

Autonomy level: Level 4 Lidar sensors: 9 lidars Radar sensors: 3 millimeter-wave radars +5 more

Autonomy level

Level 4

New autonomous heavy-duty truck

Lidar sensors

9 lidars

Autonomous driving kit

Radar sensors

3 millimeter-wave radars

Autonomous driving kit

Cameras

13 cameras

Autonomous driving kit

ADK bill-of-materials cost reduction

70%

Compared with the previous generation

Transportation cost reduction

30%

Expected reduction per ton-kilometer

Energy consumption reduction

10%

Expected reduction compared with conventional trucks

Drag coefficient

0.4 Cd

GAC Commercial Vehicle T9 platform

Key Terms

drive-by-wire, lidars, millimeter-wave radars, bill-of-materials

4 terms

drive-by-wire technical

"fully redundant drive-by-wire chassis"

Drive-by-wire is a vehicle control system that replaces mechanical linkages—like steering columns, throttle cables, and brake lines—with electronic sensors, software, and actuators that send signals to perform those functions. For investors this matters because it can lower vehicle weight and manufacturing costs, enable advanced driver-assistance and autonomous features, and shift value toward software and semiconductor suppliers while raising regulatory, safety and cybersecurity risks that can affect liability, recalls and long-term profitability.

lidars technical

"comprising nine lidars, three millimeter-wave radars and 13 cameras"

Lidars are sensor systems that send rapid laser light pulses toward objects and measure the time it takes the light to return, building precise 3D maps of distance, shape and movement—think of a high-speed, laser-based ruler that “paints” the surrounding scene. They matter to investors because lidar performance, cost and availability can determine how quickly technologies such as self-driving cars, drones, surveying services and industrial automation can scale and compete.

millimeter-wave radars technical

"nine lidars, three millimeter-wave radars and 13 cameras"

Sensors that use very short radio wavelengths (roughly 30–300 GHz) to detect objects, distance, speed and angle by bouncing millimeter-scale radio waves off targets and measuring the returned signal. Think of them as high-frequency radar “eyes” that can see through dust, rain and darkness with fine detail; they matter to investors because they are key components in industries like automotive safety, industrial automation and certain wireless systems, affecting product capabilities, supply chains and revenue opportunities.

bill-of-materials financial

"The bill-of-materials cost of the ADK has been reduced by 70%"

A bill of materials is a detailed list of all parts, raw materials, subassemblies and quantities needed to build a product, like a recipe for a manufactured item. For investors it reveals where costs and supply risks sit — if key ingredients are expensive or scarce, profit margins and production schedules can be affected. It helps assess cost structure, inventory needs and vulnerability to supplier problems.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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HANNOVER, Germany, Sept. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- At IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026, Pony AI Inc. ("Pony.ai") (NASDAQ: PONY; HKEX: 2026) today unveiled a new Level 4 (L4) autonomous heavy-duty truck developed in collaboration with GAC Commercial Vehicle. The global debut marks the latest step in the companies' collaboration and advances Pony.ai's efforts to bring its fourth generation (Gen-4) Robotruck platform into mass production and commercial deployment.

As one of the models in Pony.ai's Gen-4 Robotruck lineup, the new vehicle is built on GAC Commercial Vehicle's T9 battery-electric heavy-duty truck platform. Volume production is scheduled to begin later this year, with vehicles to be deployed in long-haul freight, dedicated-route logistics and port transportation.

The new model integrates Pony.ai's Gen-4 L4 autonomous trucking system with GAC Commercial Vehicle's fully redundant drive-by-wire chassis. Its steering, braking, communications, power supply, computing and sensing systems all feature fully redundant architectures to support safe operation across a wide range of conditions.

The vehicle is also equipped with a fully automotive-grade autonomous driving kit (ADK) comprising nine lidars, three millimeter-wave radars and 13 cameras, providing 360-degree sensing coverage with no blind spots. It uses the same domain controller as Pony.ai's seventh-generation (Gen-7) Robotaxis. The bill-of-materials cost of the ADK has been reduced by 70% compared with the previous generation, while transportation costs per ton-kilometer are expected to fall by 30%.

Pony.ai's energy-efficiency algorithms, combined with the T9's ultra-low drag coefficient of 0.4 Cd, are also expected to reduce energy consumption by 10% compared with conventional trucks, supporting smarter, greener and more efficient freight operations.

"The global debut of the T9 autonomous heavy-duty truck with GAC Commercial Vehicle marks another important step in accelerating the mass production and commercial deployment of Pony.ai's Robotrucks," He Xing, Vice President of Pony.ai and Head of the company's Robotruck business, said. "Looking ahead, we will deepen our collaboration with GAC Commercial Vehicle, continue advancing volume production and deployment of the T9 Robotrucks, and bring our jointly developed autonomous trucking solutions to markets around the world."

The new model extends Pony.ai's longstanding partnership with GAC Group from Robotaxi into Robotruck. Pony.ai and GAC Commercial Vehicle signed a strategic cooperation agreement on April 16. Within five months, the companies completed vehicle testing and validation ahead of the model's formal launch. This accelerated development process was supported by Pony.ai's autonomous driving expertise, together with GAC Commercial Vehicle's automotive engineering and manufacturing capabilities.

Pony.ai began developing Robotrucks in 2018 and has since built a product portfolio spanning heavy- and light-duty trucks. The company is advancing its Gen-4 Robotrucks toward mass production while working with vehicle manufacturers and logistics operators across long-haul freight, bulk commodity transportation, port logistics and urban delivery. Its approach applies the same underlying Virtual Driver technology across Robotaxis, heavy-duty trucks and light-duty trucks, supported by fully redundant safety architectures.

Pony.ai also plans to expand its Robotruck business internationally, including entering markets in Europe and the Middle East over the next two years. The company intends to build on the technology, commercial experience and partner-led approach developed through its operations in China, as well as the overseas operating experience of its Robotaxi business. Pony.ai currently has Robotaxi operations and partnerships underway in markets including the UAE, Qatar, Croatia, Luxembourg, Singapore and South Korea.

About Pony AI Inc.

Pony AI Inc. is a global leader in achieving large-scale commercialization of autonomous mobility. Leveraging its vehicle-agnostic Virtual Driver technology, a full-stack autonomous driving technology that seamlessly integrates Pony.ai's proprietary software, hardware and services, Pony.ai is developing a commercially viable and sustainable business model that enables the mass production and deployment of vehicles across transportation use cases. Founded in 2016, Pony.ai has expanded its presence across China, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and other regions, ensuring widespread access to its advanced technology.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ponyai-unveils-new-gen-4-robotruck-in-collaboration-with-gac-commercial-vehicle-302877606.html

SOURCE Pony AI Inc.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

When will volume production and deployment of the new T9 Robotruck begin?

Volume production of the new T9 autonomous heavy-duty Robotruck is scheduled to begin later this year, with vehicles to be deployed in long-haul freight, dedicated-route logistics and port transportation.

What hardware configuration does Pony.ai’s Gen-4 Robotruck use for autonomous driving?

The autonomous driving kit is fully automotive-grade and includes nine lidars, three millimeter-wave radars and 13 cameras, providing 360-degree sensing coverage with no blind spots. It uses the same domain controller as Pony.ai’s seventh-generation Robotaxis.

How do Pony.ai and GAC Commercial Vehicle share roles in this Robotruck?

The new model combines Pony.ai’s Gen-4 Level 4 autonomous trucking system and energy-efficiency algorithms with GAC Commercial Vehicle’s T9 battery-electric platform and fully redundant drive-by-wire chassis, leveraging GAC Commercial Vehicle’s automotive engineering and manufacturing capabilities.

Which markets does Pony.ai currently serve with its Robotaxi operations?

Pony.ai currently has Robotaxi operations and partnerships underway in markets including the UAE, Qatar, Croatia, Luxembourg, Singapore and South Korea.

What is Pony.ai’s broader strategy for its Robotruck portfolio?

Pony.ai is advancing its Gen-4 Robotrucks toward mass production across heavy- and light-duty trucks, targeting long-haul freight, bulk commodity transportation, port logistics and urban delivery, and applying the same underlying Virtual Driver technology used in its Robotaxis.