Pony.ai’s permit to test autonomous vehicles revoked in California
May perhaps 26 (UPI) — Pony.ai has lost its permit to exam its autonomous vehicles with a safety driver in California.
The California Section of Motor Vehicles revoked the AV startup’s tests allow after discovering it unsuccessful to monitor the driving records of the security motorists, TechCrunch first described.
“While reviewing Pony.ai’s software to renew the tests permit, the DMV observed many violations on the driving data of active Pony.ai safety motorists,” a spokesperson for the DMV informed TechCrunch.
The DMV spokesperson extra that getting up to date information on safety drivers was essential.
“Simply because of the critical role of security drivers to aid the protected testing of autonomous technology and the need for these motorists to have a clear driving record as proven by the DMV’s autonomous vehicle restrictions, the DMV is revoking the allow, efficient straight away,” the spokesperson stated.
The DMV took concern with three of the security drivers, the firm confirmed to TechCrunch.
“Pony.ai techniques the improvement of autonomous auto technological know-how with basic safety as our foundation, we are happy of our protection history,” a Pony.ai spokesperson additional in an electronic mail to The Verge.
The spokesperson informed both equally TechCrunch and The Verge that it was very pleased that in its document of in excess of 6.8 million serious-world autonomous miles, no injuries have transpired.
Previous calendar year, the AV business, which is co-positioned in Silicon Valley, Calif., and Beijing and Guangzhou, China, dropped its allow to test AVs without having a basic safety driver soon after a collision in Fremont, Calif.
The Nationwide Highway Website traffic and Safety Administration suspected a software package default, and the AV firm recalled three motor vehicles with identical opportunity software program troubles in March.
Still, Pony.ai just lately received a allow for a driverless robotaxi assistance in Beijing. It also lately obtained a taxi license in Guangzhou.