Pony.ai Loses Permit to Test Autonomous Vehicles with Driver

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has revoked Pony.ai’s permit to test its autonomous vehicle technology with a driver, according to a report by TechCrunch. The startup technology company failed to examine the driving records of the safety drivers on its testing permit.

In California, Pony.ai had 41 autonomous test vehicles and 71 safety drivers on its permit, says the report.

“While reviewing Pony.ai’s application to renew the testing permit, the DMV found numerous violations on the driving records of active Pony.ai safety drivers,” a DMV spokesperson told TechCrunch.

Pony.ai confirmed to TechCrunch that its permit had been revoked by the DMV. The company said that the DMV took issue with the driving records of three of its safety operators, according to the report.

“We are in the process of reviewing the DMV’s notice,” a spokesperson for Pony.ai told TechCrunch.

In March, Pony.ai issued a recall for some versions of its autonomous driving system software after a crash in California. On Oct. 28, 2021, a Pony.ai vehicle (that had been in autonomous mode) hit a street sign on a median after turning right. This incident led California to suspend the company’s driverless testing permit.