The California Division of Motor Autos revoked Pony.ai’s allow to check its autonomous car know-how with a driver on Tuesday for failing to watch the driving data of the protection drivers on its testing allow.
“Whereas reviewing Pony.ai’s utility to resume the testing allow, the DMV discovered quite a few violations on the driving data of energetic Pony.ai security drivers,” a spokesperson for the DMV advised Avisionews, noting that Pony had 41 autonomous take a look at automobiles and 71 security drivers on its allow.
“Due to the essential function of security drivers to facilitate the protected testing of autonomous know-how and the necessity for these drivers to have a clear driving file as established by the DMV’s autonomous car rules, the DMV is revoking the allow, efficient instantly.”
The information follows the suspension of Pony’s driverless allow, which permits it to check its AV tech with no human security operator within the entrance seat, in November 2021 after a reported collision in Fremont, California. On the time, the Nationwide Freeway Visitors and Security Administration suspected a software program default, so in March, Pony recalled three automobiles with comparable potential software program points.
The California DMV didn’t reply in time to requests for extra details about the standing of Pony’s suspended driverless testing allow, but when the arguably safer model of that let — the one which requires a driver to be current whereas testing — has been absolutely revoked, it’s unlikely the DMV will reinstate the startup’s driverless allow any time quickly.
“When there may be an unreasonable threat to public security, the DMV can instantly droop or revoke permits,” the company advised Avisionews.
Pony presently doesn’t maintain any energetic testing permits in California.
In the meantime, in China, the place most of Pony’s operations reside, the corporate simply acquired a allow to offer driverless ride-hailing companies to the general public on open roads in Beijing. The corporate additionally just lately scored a taxi license to function a business service in Guangzhou.
Pony didn’t reply in time for remark.
