He said autonomous driving also pairs well with electric heavy- and light-duty trucks, potentially reducing energy use and emissions. In principle, a driverless heavy-duty truck could operate around the clock, subject to charging, maintenance, and regulatory requirements. Pony.ai said the hardware cost for each truck’s autonomous driving kit is about 70% lower than that of the previous generation. However, He acknowledged that the threshold for deploying robotrucks at scale, particularly heavy-duty trucks, is higher than it is for robotaxis. According to He, Pony.ai expects to deploy 500–1,000 heavy-duty trucks over the next two to three years and 100,000 light-duty trucks by 2030.