Pony.ai, an autonomous vehicle startup that splits its operations between China and the U.S., has received approval to test its driverless cars in three Californian cities, winning another vote of confidence for technology that it is still exploring how to make money off of.

The permit, issued Friday by California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), allows Pony.ai to test six autonomous vehicles without a safety driver behind the wheel on designated roads in Fremont, Milpitas and Irvine, according to a statement released by DMV. Testing is scheduled to initially take place in Fremont and Milpitas on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The test vehicles are only allowed to run under fair weather conditions and light precipitation at speeds no greater than 45 mph, the DMV said.

In order to qualify for the permit, companies must provide proof of insurance or a bond equal to $5 million, train remote operators for the technology being tested and verify that vehicles are powered by Level 4 or Level 5 self-driving technology certified by American engineering standards group SAE International, according the DMV.

SAE classifies autonomous driving into six levels from Level 0 to Level 5, with the top-level technology enabling a car to run independent of human intervention.

Pony.ai, which is piloting its robotaxi services in China and the U.S., is the eighth company to receive a DMV-issued driverless testing permit, joining its Chinese peers AutoX, Baidu and WeRide. Pony.ai has been testing its autonomous vehicles equipped with safety drivers in California since 2017.

Earlier this month, Pony.ai said that it would conduct commercial autonomous freight operations in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, a move that came as companies like Baidu have begun exploring how to commercialize their self-driving car services.

Contact reporter Ding Yi (yiding@caixin.com)

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