(Yicai Global) Dec. 24 -- Chinese autonomous driving startup Pony.ai is teaming up with a unit of automaker FAW Group to build large fleets of self-driving taxis.

FAW (Nanjing) Technology Development and Pony.ai will pool their resources and strengths in car manufacturing and Level 4 self-driving technology, which is the second highest level from fully autonomous, to realize the large-scale, low-cost production of unmanned taxis, Pony.ai said today.

The pair will choose a compatible vehicle model and design a mass production program that will pre-install the autonomous-driving sensor hardware and other systems, it said. Both parties will start negotiations with multiple cities including Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Changchun and Nanjing to launch their Robotaxi fleets in these municipalities.

Founded in 2016 and based in Guangzhou and Silicon Valley, Pony.ai is one of the fastest-growing firms focused on autonomous driving technologies. It has set up research and development centers in Beijing and Shanghai and has also won licenses for self-driving testing and services in other areas of China and the US.

Changchun, northeastern Jilin province-based FAW is one of China’s Big Four automakers and has been one of the country’s best-selling auto brands for the past 18 years. It owns the Hongqi, Bestune, Senia and Haima marques.

Editors: Xu Wei, Kim Taylor