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UAE: Chinese driverless car catches fire in Beijing; Abu Dhabi expansion unaffected
Back in October 2023, Pony.ai signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Vehicles Industry to join its cluster located in Masdar City
- PUBLISHED: Sun 18 May 2025, 5:45 PM UPDATED: Mon 19 May 2025, 8:52 PM
Chinese autonomous vehicle technology company Pony.ai said they are “conducting a thorough investigation to determine the root cause on an accident involving one of their driverless vehicles that recently caught fire in Beijing”. The company added their collaboration with Abu Dhabi Investment Office “will not be affected by the incident".
Several Chinese media reported a self-driving test vehicle operated by Pony.ai caught fire on May 13 in Yizhuang, a town in Daxing District, in the southeast suburbs of Beijing. Netizens circulated videos and photos of the severely damaged robotaxi on Chinese social media.
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Pony.ai confirmed that the incident occurred around 9.30am on Tuesday. “There were no passengers in the vehicle, no collision occurred, and no injuries were caused,” the company told Chinese media.
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The robotaxi was reportedly undergoing routine testing.
“An abnormal status during operation immediately triggered the vehicle’s safety protection mechanism, coming to an emergency stop. Our on-site team arrived within two minutes after receiving instructions. The fire broke out during the handling process and was adequately dealt with in coordination with relevant authorities. The cause is currently under investigation,” added Pony.ai, which operates across China, Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East.
Thorough investigation
In a separate statement sent to Khaleej Times, Pony.ai said: “In light of recent speculation surrounding the fire incident involving one of our vehicles in China, we would like to clarify that we are currently conducting a thorough investigation to determine the root cause of the incident.
“We take this matter seriously and are working closely with local (Beijing) authorities and technical teams to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the situation. The safety and trust of our customers and partners remain our highest priority.”
“As part of our commitment to continuous improvement and transparency, we will implement any necessary measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. We appreciate the ongoing trust and support of our global partners and assure you that we are handling this situation with the utmost responsibility and professionalism,” added Pony.ai, which was founded on December 2016 by James Peng and Tiancheng Lou, former software developers for Baidu in Silicon Valley.
Back in October 2023, during Gitex Global, Pony.ai signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Vehicles Industry to join Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Vehicles Industry (SAVI) cluster, located in Masdar City.
Pony.ai currently operates robotaxis in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. The company also recently announced working with Toyota, Beijing’s BAIC and GAC for new robotaxis they claimed can cut costs by 70 per cent.
Strong investor confidence
Pony.ai said: “While the recent incident has introduced fresh safety and regulatory scrutiny, investors remain cautiously optimistic about the company’s long-term potential.
“The autonomous ride-hailing industry has made remarkable progress. Fully driverless services are approved in more than 50 cities across the world, with operating costs reduced by 40 per cent, compared to traditional taxis,” the company added.
Drop in accident rates
Pony.ai noted: “China has for years been encouraging progress in autonomous driving technology and has granted robotaxi operators including Pony.ai and Baidu permits to deploy robotaxis without humans in the driving seat on some open Chinese roads.
“Safety statistics are also encouraging, showing a 90 per cent drop in accident rates compared to human drivers. With rapid AI advancements and growing public trust, robotaxis are poised to redefine urban mobility by 2030,” Pony.ai underscored.
