The "Salute to the Chinese Economy - Entrepreneur's Night 2025" gala was held in Beijing on January 29. Pony.ai founder and CEO Peng Jun attended to receive an honor. Hongtai Fund founder and chairman Sheng Xitai and Sequoia China partner Zhou Kui witnessed the honor.
The tribute read: He is hailed as "a leader in the global autonomous driving revolution." Transitioning from a top engineer in Silicon Valley to a pioneering entrepreneur returning to China, he was the first to conduct L4 autonomous driving tests on Chinese streets. Guided by the philosophy of "gathering people through endeavors and achieving success through people," he led his team to overcome challenges, ultimately turning an ideal into reality by enabling autonomous vehicles to navigate city streets. With an engineer's precision, he refined every line of code, and with an entrepreneur's foresight, he strategically planned each route, securing a voice for China's autonomous driving system in global competition.
Zhou Kui remarked that Pony.ai's decade-long commitment to the robotaxi model carries significant risk, reflecting an entrepreneur who entered the new economy early and demonstrates extreme focus.
Sheng Xitai stated that in the next five years, autonomous driving will undoubtedly elevate the automotive industry to a new level. Pony.ai is the most advanced domestic company in this field and will continue to improve.
While expressing his gratitude, Peng Jun noted that Pony.ai was founded ten years ago, representing a long period of dedicated effort. Over two years ago, users in China's four major first-tier cities could already begin fully driverless commercial operations. In his view, Pony.ai's development to this point is attributable to the collective effort and persistence of the entire team over the past decade, and also crucially, to the current highly supportive environment for innovation.
"Therefore, it is within this favorable context that a group of entrepreneurs, including Zhipu, and technology-driven startups like ours, have been able to shine brilliantly."
Peng Jun pointed out that Pony.ai's long-standing vision is to use autonomous driving to genuinely make transportation safer, more convenient, and more efficient, thereby improving everyone's lives. "So, our vision is also that in the near future, Pony.ai's vehicles will reach thousands of households, and you will see our cars on all roads, making everyone's travel experience better."
The following is a transcript of the speeches: Zhou Kui: Congratulations, congratulations to CEO Peng! I'll share two observations. I met CEO Peng ten years ago, around this time, in Silicon Valley; it was a brief encounter. Later, when he sought investment, we had the opportunity to invest. Furthermore, in the field of autonomous driving a decade ago, they persisted with the robotaxi model for ten years, which involved very high risk. This reflects an entrepreneur who entered the new economy early and is extremely focused. That's the first point. Second, they are called "Pony.ai," and this year is the Year of the Horse, which is actually good luck. This luck is affirmed by Pony and is also shared with everyone today. So, it listed in Hong Kong at the end of last year, under the ticker 2026. So, congratulations again to CEO Peng and to Pony.
Host Li Xiang: Okay, thank you. Sheng Xitai: The transformation of the automotive industry led by Ford Motor Company in the 1940s, through assembly line production, changed the entire industry. In the next five years, autonomous driving will undoubtedly elevate the automotive industry to a new level. Pony.ai is the most advanced domestic company in this field. I offer my blessings and wish them continued success. Host: The three guests please come to the center of the stage. Let's gather for this moment together; please look forward! Now is the moment for applause. Thank you to the two honor witnesses. Please return to your seats to continue observing the ceremony. CEO Peng, please stay for the honorary photo. Thank you! Now, let's hear your current feelings. Peng Jun: Receiving this honor today is truly gratifying, especially having Kui and Sheng present the award personally; I feel deeply honored. First, I must thank the organizers for their recognition, and also thank all the guests for witnessing this moment today. As Kui mentioned, Pony.ai was founded ten years ago; it has been a long grind. Over two years ago, we had already launched fully driverless commercial operations in China's four major first-tier cities. Pony.ai's development to this point is attributable to the collective effort and decade-long persistence of the entire team, and also crucially, to the extremely supportive environment for innovation we operate within. Therefore, it is within this favorable context that a group of entrepreneurs, including Zhipu, and technology-driven startups like ours, have been able to shine brilliantly. Pony.ai's long-standing vision is to use autonomous driving to genuinely make our transportation safer, more convenient, and more efficient, thereby improving everyone's lives. So, our vision is also that in the near future, Pony.ai's vehicles will reach thousands of households, and you will see our cars on all roads, making everyone's travel experience better. Okay, thank you everyone!
Host Li Xiang: Okay, thank you. I have a question for CEO Peng. I think many boys, when they were young, probably had all sorts of fanciful imaginations. For those born in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, we started watching many movies back then, and someone must have thought about building a car that could run without needing to drive it yourself. You must have had many unrealistic fantasies when you were young, but some might have become reality now. What aspects of what Pony.ai is doing today actually exceed those bold fantasies boys had in childhood? Peng Jun: I think actually, everyone, while driving or even while being a passenger, especially when encountering traffic jams, uncomfortable driving conditions, fatigue, or after drinking alcohol, has wished for a genuine AI driver to safely take them home. I believe this is something everyone has fantasized about. Of course, as Kui mentioned earlier, ten years ago we thought this was a very worthwhile endeavor. Honestly, it wasn't clear then when it could be achieved, but what is very gratifying to me is that step by step, we have now begun deployment in many cities. This is actually the fulfillment of a childhood dream. Host Li Xiang: Yes, you are absolutely right. Fulfilling a dream isn't like suddenly having a magic door to pass through; it's the accumulation of effort day by day. So next, let's direct our attention to the screen beside us. We will take everyone back to the beginning of Pony.ai, using a series of pictures to tell the story. Now, let's have CEO Peng explain the stories behind these photos. Fortunately, I think each one has a year and some brief explanatory text. Peng Jun: First, you can see we also started in a garage, initially founded around a dining table. We truly started with a dream, as we said. Host Li Xiang: Ten years ago. Peng Jun: We didn't know what would happen. You can see our humble office environment back then. Step by step we developed, obtained the Beijing license, deployed the first autonomous fleet, expanded into trucks, later collaborated with GAC and BAIC for mass production, and finally, the last photo shows our unmanned vehicle participating in the torch relay at last year's National Games. So, these photos offer glimpses, just a small part, but they show the passage of time. Looking at these photos now, I have many feelings. Host Li Xiang: Especially ten years ago. You repeatedly emphasized "garage startup," our humble beginnings. We can even see what looks like a kitchen not far from your office space? Peng Jun: Yes. Host Li Xiang: But everyone's faces were glowing, filled with the determination and confidence of imagining a dream. All these years lead to just two or three months ago, when we escorted the National Games torch. At that time, the dreams of these five not-so-young men were realized. So sometimes, when we are in such an environment and look around, we realize life is short, but if transformed into daily accumulation, life becomes wonderful. Congratulations again to you and your team, and we hope your future work brings us even more unexpected surprises. Now, I'd like to ask everyone to experience Pony.ai once more, because today we have a special, brilliant arrangement. This arrangement is to take you on a first-person perspective ride through a real Pony.ai autonomous driving scenario. CEO Peng isn't fully aware of this either; it's his surprise. Please watch. Mr. Li, are you there? Li Lintao: Hello, host. Host Li Xiang: Hello. Li Lintao: Can you hear me? Host Li Xiang: Hello, Mr. Li. Please introduce yourself to everyone. Li Lintao: I am Li Lintao from Pony.ai. I am actually sitting in our company's latest generation autonomous vehicle. As you can see, we are navigating the streets of Yizhuang during the evening rush hour. Host Li Xiang: There's really no one in the front. Li Lintao: As you can see, both the steering wheel and the driver's seat are empty. Host Li Xiang: How are you feeling right now? Li Lintao: For me, it's quite routine, as this is part of our daily life; I commute using autonomous vehicles. Host Li Xiang: We just saw that indeed there is no one in the driver's seat. Mr. Li is actually the Deputy General Manager of Pony.ai's Beijing R&D Center. He is now sitting in his working environment. Intelligent driving, autonomous driving, should offer more than just the simple convenience of not driving yourself. What unexpected changes will it bring to our lives? Can you tell us? Li Lintao: You are correct; it's certainly more than just not driving. Autonomous driving brings, very importantly, an enhancement in safety. This has always been a core design philosophy for Pony.ai, which is "safety first." Therefore, our vehicles have multiple layers of safety redundancy mechanisms and thousands of real-time monitoring systems. (Unclear due to poor signal) Host Li Xiang: Mr. Li, do you have anything to add? The signal near the Third Ring Road isn't great. Li Lintao: It can achieve very efficient travel on highways or urban roads. We also hope to continue... Host Li Xiang: That's not our fault; it's an issue with a certain major company. Li Lintao: ...With technological iteration, to enable this technology to rapidly achieve commercial deployment, allowing more people to experience safe and efficient travel. Host Li Xiang: I want to ask a question on behalf of many viewers watching our live stream. Many people, even my young friends, are curious: if we encounter extreme weather, like heavy rain or strong wind, or on seemingly empty roads where a pedestrian or an electric bike rider suddenly appears, can autonomous driving really be safer and more reliable than human driving in such emergencies? Li Lintao: Yes, I can assure you on this point. This is also a core advantage of our L4 autonomous driving. Pony relies on our PonyWorld world model, utilizing core virtual driver technology, and has become one of the few companies globally capable of常态化 (regular) operations. (Signal issues) Additionally, we utilize multi-sensor fusion technology including satellite and inertial navigation. We employ lidar, 4D imaging radar, and other technologies to achieve 360-degree environmental perception. This is more sensitive than human eyes and ears, allowing our driver to react faster and successfully handle adverse weather like heavy rain and dense fog. Host Li Xiang: I think I understand roughly. It's similar to what I sometimes tell my friends: don't worry, we have two eyes, they have hundreds of eyes. Our reaction time might be 1 second or 0.5 seconds, theirs is 0.00000 seconds. So we understand. Thank you for sharing. The New Year is approaching. Finally, please send your blessings to all our friends. Li Lintao: First, of course, congratulations to all the award-winning business leaders today. I also wish today's event smooth progress and a successful conclusion. On behalf of Pony.ai, I wish everyone a Happy New Year and family happiness. I also hope everyone stays safe and everything goes smoothly in the new year. Thank you for your attention and support for the autonomous driving industry. In the new year, we will work with all industry peers to promote the industry's development, contribute to the Chinese economy, and applaud the Chinese economy. Host Li Xiang: Okay, thank you, Mr. Li. We send all blessings to you and your colleagues. Thank you. CEO Peng, after such an exchange, your role is particularly special because this is the first time all of us have had this experience. What are your feelings? Peng Jun: Actually, for us, this is very routine. Host Li Xiang: It's your office. Peng Jun: I usually commute using our driverless cars. I also hope everyone gets the chance to go to Yizhuang, Guangzhou, or Shennan, Bao'an District in Shennan where there are even more. Our cars are already on the streets everywhere, so welcome everyone to experience it. Thank you!
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