BEIJING — Self-driving start-up Pony.ai introduced Sunday it acquired a taxi license, the primary of its form in China.

The license permits Pony.ai to function 100 self-driving automobiles as conventional taxis within the Nansha district of the southern metropolis of Guangzhou, the corporate mentioned.

The Chinese language start-up, which is backed by Toyota, acquired approval from Beijing metropolis late final 12 months to cost charges to function a business robotaxi enterprise in a suburban district of town. It isn’t the identical as a taxi licence.

Baidu’s Apollo Go additionally acquired approval in the identical Beijing district final 12 months.

Pony.ai was valued at $8.5 billion in early March. The corporate mentioned its Nansha taxi license required 24 months of autonomous driving testing in China and/or different nations, and no involvement in any lively legal responsibility site visitors accidents, amongst different components.

The beginning-up mentioned it plans to launch business robotaxi companies in two different giant Chinese language cities subsequent 12 months. The corporate is already testing self-driving automobiles in these cities and in California. 

Robotaxis in China at the moment have a human driver current for security.

— CNBC’s Arjun Kharpal contributed to this report.