Industry Briefing
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Pony.ai and Verne Launch Fully Driverless Robotaxi Tests in Zagreb, Croatia
Pony.ai and Verne have initiated fully driverless robotaxi tests in Zagreb, Croatia, eliminating the onboard safety operator. The tests cover a 22-kilometer route connecting Verne’s headquarters to Zagreb Airport, utilizing Pony.ai’s seventh-generation Level 4 robotaxi equipped with NVIDIA DRIVE AGX technology. This development is significant as it marks a European first for fully driverless passenger rides, following a partnership announcement with Uber for a commercial robotaxi service. Since the service's launch in April, the fleet has completed over 200,000 kilometers and received an average passenger rating of 4.7 out of 5, indicating strong customer acceptance. Looking ahead, Pony.ai plans to expand the driverless routes in Zagreb over the coming months, aiming to cover the entire operational area in the city. The company is targeting a global fleet of over 3,500 robotaxis by the end of 2026, with a deployment pipeline exceeding 4,000 vehicles, including significant plans with Uber across Europe.
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Ardian to invest €5 billion in digital infrastructure in France; Kuaishou creates 189 new jobs, 15 from AI; China allocates
On June 2, 2023, in Beijing, Gaode Map and the Singapore Tourism Board signed a strategic cooperation memorandum, marking the launch of the first collaborative tourism ranking list between a Chinese company and an overseas national tourism board. This initiative will feature the Singapore Street Ranking, utilizing Gaode's advanced aerial street view technology to provide a 360-degree perspective of local attractions, hotels, neighborhoods, and restaurants. The goal is to enhance the travel experience by allowing visitors to assess their destinations before arrival. In a separate development, the Jiangxi National Rare Earth Technology Innovation Center was established with a registered capital of 1.25 billion yuan, focusing on mineral resource exploration and scientific research. Additionally, WeRide and Uber announced plans to introduce Spain's first commercial Robotaxi service in Madrid, expanding WeRide's presence to its twelfth global city. The initiative aims to deploy hundreds of Robotaxis in the city center as operational benchmarks are met. In France, Ardian, a private equity firm, revealed a partnership with Verne to invest up to 5 billion euros in developing a next-generation digital infrastructure park in the Île-de-France region, with a target capacity of 500 megawatts by 2030. Other notable news includes a collaboration between Google and Telstra to build a fiber and submarine cable network in Australia, updates on the recovery timeline for Blue Origin's launch facilities following a recent rocket explosion, and a reduction in fuel surcharges for domestic flights in China starting June 5.
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