FutureLink and Pony.ai to Deploy 200 Robo-Taxis in Seoul by 2028
Creatrip Team
21 days ago
FutureLink, led by chairman Nam Kyung-pil (former Gyeonggi governor), announced a strategic partnership with China’s Pony.ai to introduce 200 unmanned robo-taxis across Seoul by 2028. The partners will first import 10 vehicles for government certification, then add 190 more, later expanding to other major cities. Unlike earlier conversions of Hyundai Kona test cars, the fleet will use a purpose-built 7th-generation robo-taxi model developed with BAIC (Beijing Automotive) featuring redundant systems and validated autonomous-driving hardware. Pony.ai will provide strategic investment and the project may become a joint venture (JV). Pony.ai CEO James Peng said data generated locally will be stored in-country and access strictly controlled; edge-case analysis will be done domestically to address data-sovereignty and dependency concerns. The company aims to reduce combined vehicle and autonomous kit cost below 230,000 CNY (about 47.3 million KRW) by mid-2027, improving price competitiveness. FutureLink and Pony.ai will hold quarterly executive meetings, with Nam and Peng directly coordinating certification and service expansion.
