Pony.ai says Doha robotaxi pilot passed the ministry's review

Pony.ai says Doha robotaxi pilot passed the ministry's review

9 September 2026: Pony.ai has told the second Autonomous e-Mobility Forum in Doha that its robotaxi service there is operating commercially and that Qatar's Ministry of Transport rates the pilot a success. The ministry reported high passenger satisfaction and safety above its initial targets, and said the systems were ready for the broader adoption of autonomous services.

Not yet independently verified. The ministry update is described as Pony.ai reports it, and its exact July date is not given on the page. We will update this when it can be confirmed, and remove this note.

From road tests to a paid pilot

Pony.ai began public-road testing in Doha in August 2025. A commercial pilot followed in December 2025, offered through the Karwa app with trained safety operators on board. The local partner is Mowasalat, which operates as Karwa and is Qatar's national mobility provider.

In July 2026 the Ministry of Transport published a public update on the pilot, and the findings above come from it. The forum itself ran from 7 to 9 September at the Qatar National Convention Centre, hosted by the Ministry, which brings together officials, policymakers and industry leaders there.

Where the cars go

The service charges fares. It covers Old Doha and West Bay, taking in the Corniche, the National Museum of Qatar, the Museum of Islamic Art and the Old Doha Port, and it includes a link to Hamad International Airport. Pony.ai says the service supports commutes, airport transfers and leisure trips, and calls Doha one of its key commercial operations outside China.

Next phase and the national plan

The ministry noted that a possible next phase would work towards fully driverless operation, in coordination with the relevant authorities. At the forum Pony.ai demonstrated Gen-7 robotaxis without an onboard safety operator.

The programme runs under the supervision of the Ministry and supports Qatar's Autonomous Vehicles Strategy and Qatar National Vision 2030. Dr. James Peng, Pony.ai's founder and chief executive, said: "Doha demonstrates how Robotaxis can be integrated into a modern urban transportation system". He added: "Together with Mowasalat, we have built a strong operational foundation".

The model Doha follows

Pony.ai calls its international expansion the second growth engine after China. Its joint deployment model pairs its technology and commercial experience from China with partners' fleets, local operations and rider access. In its release of 14 August on a wider agreement with Uber, the company describes Uber supplying customer access through booking, payment and customer service, and local fleet partners handling daily operations. That agreement covers more than 2,000 Pony.ai robotaxis in Europe and includes plans for the Middle East.

Fleet and results behind the claim

In its second-quarter results of 18 August, Pony.ai reported a total robotaxi fleet of 1,975 vehicles as of 30 June 2026. Robotaxi revenue rose 691.2% to US$12.1 million, and fare-charging revenue rose 849.3%. Total revenue rose 68.8% to US$36.2 million, with robotaxi making up one third of it for the first time. Two Gen-7 robotaxi models are commercially rolled out, and a third, developed and manufactured with Toyota, has entered service in China's tier-one cities.

The same release lists other overseas work: in Singapore the Punggol service with ComfortDelGro became bookable through the Zig app, and in Luxembourg a pilot with Bolt and Stellantis launched.

The company

Pony.ai was founded in 2016 and is listed on Nasdaq as PONY and in Hong Kong as 2026. Its vehicle-agnostic Virtual Driver combines its software, hardware and services. It says its planned and potential overseas deployments exceed 4,000 vehicles.

Company profile on TrustList: Pony.ai

Related on TrustList:

• Pony.ai and Verne begin driverless test rides on Zagreb's airport route
• Grab will grow its Singapore AV fleet fivefold and has certified 30 operators
• Wayve wins TfL licences and starts carrying London's Uber riders

Sources

• Pony.ai: Pony.ai highlights progress of Doha robotaxi commercial operations at AEMOB Forum, 9 September 2026
• Pony.ai: Pony.ai reports record growth in paid robotaxi services, 18 August 2026
• Pony.ai: Pony.ai and Uber expand partnership to deploy over 2,000 robotaxis in Europe, 14 August 2026
• Pony.ai press page (read 2026-10-17), 17 October 2026