Tiancheng Lou

Cofounder, Pony.ai

Search every verified Tiancheng Lou interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Tiancheng Lou, co-founder and CTO of Pony AI, discussed the company's progress and strategy in two recent interviews. In a July 2025 conversation with Reuters, Lou said that robotaxi technology has developed significantly since around 2022, when companies in China and the U.S. began operating driverless vehicles in some cities. He stated that Pony AI's latest vehicle generation, unveiled in late April, reduced costs by 70% and is already in mass production, with testing underway in Guangzhou and Shenzhen and plans to expand the fleet to 1,000 vehicles by the end of 2025. Lou also noted that Pony AI's supply chain is diversified and relies on standard components, which he said limits the impact of geopolitical factors. He mentioned existing collaborations with ride-hailing platforms such as Uber and Grab, describing them as a win-win situation, and said Pony AI works with ComfortDelGro in Singapore. In a June 2025 podcast appearance, Lou reflected on the company's journey, saying that Pony AI received regulatory approval in 2022 to operate without a driver after demonstrating a safety record better than human drivers. He described user feedback, noting that some passengers use robotaxis to nap during trips. Lou also discussed the technical challenges of autonomous trucking, saying it is harder than taxi driving because highway driving is more difficult for machines. He explained that Pony AI's 14 million miles of testing are primarily for verification, while training occurs in virtual environments, a common approach among Level 4 autonomous driving companies.