Pony.ai CEO questions Tesla's robotaxi testing progress

In a recent interview at the CONVERGE LIVE event, James Peng, co-founder and CEO of Pony.ai, shared insights on the current state of autonomous vehicle technology. He emphasized the significant strides made by Alphabet's Waymo, particularly its deployment of autonomous ride-hailing cars across U.S. cities. Areas like San Francisco and Los Angeles have seen Waymo vehicles becoming prominent challengers in the ride-hailing sector, with reports indicating that Waymo has become the second most popular ride-hailing service in San Francisco, following Uber and surpassing Lyft. Peng noted the visibility and growing acceptance of these autonomous vehicles among local residents as essential progress in adoption. In contrast, Peng expressed skepticism regarding Tesla's anticipated launch of its robotaxi service. Despite CEO Elon Musk's long-standing ambitions for Tesla in the autonomous vehicle market, Peng pointed out that there has been no substantial indication of large-scale testing from Tesla thus far. This sentiment reflects the industry-wide scrutiny that emerging technologies face, as potential consumers and analysts alike are keenly observing the developments in autonomous rideshare solutions and competitive dynamics in this rapidly evolving market. The anticipation for robotaxis is part of a broader narrative surrounding the future of transportation technologies, and as companies like Waymo lead the charge, the pressure mounts on Tesla to deliver.