
General Election Set for July: Sunak vs. Starmer Showdown Begins
March 25, 2025: The UK general election has been scheduled for July, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer.
July 29, 2022: -On Thursday, Self-driving tech start-up Pony.ai announced that it plans to mass produce autonomous moving trucks in China with equipment manufacturing big Sany Heavy Industry.
Annual production is set to reach nearly 10,000 trucks “within a few years,” according to a press release. Small-scale deliveries will start this year, and mass production will begin in 2024.
The trucks are slated to come with “Level 4” autonomous driving technology, allowing full self-driving on highways and urban roads, according to Pony.ai. “L4″ is part of an industry category system that designates complete self-driving under distinct conditions.
Under current rules in China, the robot trucks won’t be able to operate fully autonomously.
Pony.ai said it only has testing access in Beijing and Guangzhou for autonomous trucks. But the group expects to operate L4 trucks in China as regulations develop.
Pony.ai’s autonomous driving system uses the Nvidia Drive Orin chip, similar to several Chinese electric car companies offering driver-assisted driving technology.
Some, but not all, of the planned trucks will be “new energy vehicles,” a category that includes electric vehicles.
Pony.ai declined Thursday to share additional information about the cost per truck and whether the trucks would only be available in China.
Sany has offices globally, while Pony.ai also operates in the U.S. The robotruck mass production deal is part of a strategic joint venture between Pony.ai and Sany Heavy Truck, a Sany subsidiary.
Analysts generally expect robot trucks to take off more quickly than robotaxis due to the more uniform nature of truck routes along highways. The daily truck drives typically last for hours versus far shorter taxi rides.
Pony.ai, which operates robotaxis, declared autonomous trucks could save 10% to 20% of energy reached with traditional trucks.
Companies from Daimler to Walmart are testing self-driving trucks. Tesla has announced a partly autonomous electric truck called Semi that has run into production and delivery delays.
Walmart said in November that for about three months, it had operated two self-driving trucks for 12 hours a day on a 7-mile route between two Walmart facilities in the U.S.
In China, automaker Geely revealed plans in the previous year to roll out an electric truck in 2024, with completely autonomous driving capability in 2030.
We provide the insights on leaders who are responsible for taking their organization to new heights, all the while bringing together a group of talented individuals.
March 25, 2025: The UK general election has been scheduled for July, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer.
March 24, 2025: Labour continues to gain traction in national polling ahead of the upcoming UK general election, capitalizing on economic dissatisfaction
March 20, 2025: The Metropolitan Police in London is facing renewed criticism following the expansion of its facial recognition surveillance operations.
March 04, 2025: China’s Zhurong rover has identified geological evidence suggesting that liquid water may have existed on Mars
February 25, 2025: Germany’s new leadership is pushing for greater European strategic independence, causing tensions in its relationship with the United States.
February 18, 2025: Severe flooding across Kentucky has left at least 12 people dead as record-breaking rainfall triggered widespread devastation.