[Edaily Reporter Park Jung-Soo ] PonyLink(064800)is set to fully launch its robo-taxi business through its subsidiary, FutureLink.
FutureLink announced on the 31st that it had signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Pony.ai, a global autonomous driving company based in the U.S., and plans to introduce Pony.ai’s 7th-generation (Gen-7) robo-taxis to the domestic market.
FutureLink has been conducting autonomous driving pilot operations in the Gangnam area of Seoul. Having gone through the stages of accumulating and validating technology through pilot operations of robo-taxis on actual roads, the company now plans to proceed with commercialization following certification.
Pony.ai’s 7th-generation robo-taxi is based on a vehicle platform designed by an automaker specifically for autonomous driving. Unlike retrofitting methods that add equipment to existing vehicles, the vehicle features a redundant system for key components—such as braking, steering, and power—integrated at the mass-production stage. This differs from retrofitting methods that mix aftermarket parts, as all autonomous driving equipment is composed of components certified to withstand the vehicle’s operating environment.
In particular, Pony.ai’s 7th-generation autonomous driving kit is evaluated as offering superior price competitiveness, with component costs reduced by approximately 70% compared to the previous generation.
A company official stated, “Through this partnership, the robo-taxi business that PonyLink has been diligently developing has become more concrete,” adding, “Since both companies have outlined various collaborative measures to launch the business in earnest, we expect to unveil the robo-taxi in the near future.”