Pony.ai to advance autonomous mobility from Luxembourg

On 6 March 2024, the California-based mobility company signed a memorandum of understanding focused on R&D and deployment of autonomous vehicles in Luxembourg.

Pony.ai co-founder and CEO Dr James Peng and Luxembourg’s Minister of the Economy Lex Delles signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU), representing a collaborative partnership between the company and Luxembourg, at a ceremony held at Pony.ai’s premises in Fremont.

A base for European expansion

Pony.ai develops and commercialises autonomous driving technology globally, aiming to build the safest autonomous driving capabilities worldwide. The agreement with Luxembourg is a crucial step in its global expansion strategy, which includes exploring opportunities in the European market.

The company chose Luxembourg as its launch pad due to the country’s commitment to becoming a hub for autonomous mobility in Europe and its welcoming ecosystem for autonomous vehicles (AVs), including a streamlined regulatory environment and strong government support for innovative technologies.

As a leading global autonomous vehicle company, Pony.ai is delighted to partner with Luxembourg as we continue our global expansion.” James Peng, CEO of Pony.ai

He adds: “We aim to bring to this partnership our cutting-edge AV technology, comprehensive training programmes, and a commitment to establish a regional hub in Luxembourg as we continue our global expansion.”

Luxembourg a pioneer in autonomous mobility

Over the past year, Pony.ai has had in-depth conversations on robotaxi deployment use cases and opportunities with stakeholders in Luxembourg. It considers the country an exciting and innovative region to introduce its self-driving vehicles.

With the support of national innovation agency Luxinnovation and other local players, the company intends to set up a regional hub that will serve as a centre for its cutting-edge research and development of autonomous vehicle technology.

The Luxembourg-based hub will be pivotal in driving technological advancements and tailoring solutions for the European market. It will provide sales, maintenance and support services to clients.

The intention is also to develop its European data centre in Luxembourg. Pony.ai hopes to work with local leading mobility partners to introduce its autonomous vehicles to Luxembourg roadways in the coming year.

Minister Delles confirmed Luxembourg’s commitment to smart mobility. “The intelligent mobility sector is one of our priorities with regard to the diversification of Luxembourg’s economy,” he said.

Our aim is to make the Grand Duchy a pioneer in the field of autonomous driving on a European scale.” Lex Delles, Luxembourg minister of the Economy

He adds: “As such, I am very pleased with the signature of an MoU with Pony.ai, a leader in autonomous mobility technologies and services. This is an important opportunity to promote the technical expertise of the smart mobility sector in Luxembourg.”