Pony.ai and GAC Launch Level 4 Autonomous Truck at IAA Transportation

The new truck integrates Pony.ai’s Gen-4 autonomous system with a fully redundant drive-by-wire chassis from GAC. Engineers have equipped the vehicle with a comprehensive sensor suite featuring nine lidars, three millimeter-wave radars, and 13 cameras, eliminating blind spots while utilizing the same domain controller found in the company’s seventh-generation robotaxis. According to the developers, this hardware configuration slashes the autonomous driving kit's bill-of-materials cost by 70%, while logistics operators can expect a 30% reduction in transportation costs per ton-kilometer.

Energy efficiency remains a central focus of the partnership. By pairing Pony.ai’s proprietary algorithms with the T9’s 0.4 drag coefficient, the companies aim to lower energy consumption by 10% compared to traditional heavy-duty trucks. This launch follows a rapid five-month development cycle since the signing of a strategic agreement in April. Looking forward, Pony.ai intends to leverage this technology to expand its freight business into Europe and the Middle East over the next two years, building on its existing international robotaxi footprint.