China Robotaxi Firms Expand Fleets Despite Regulatory Pause
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A Pony.ai robotaxi in Shenzhen on May 17, 2026. Photo: VCG
Leading Chinese autonomous driving startups are aggressively expanding their robotaxi fleets despite a temporary regulatory tightening sparked by a mass vehicle failure in March.
Top operators including Pony.ai Inc. and WeRide have added hundreds of driverless cars to their operations this year, maintaining their commercial expansion targets even as regulators impose a brief operational pause.
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- Chinese robotaxi operators expand fleets despite regulatory pause after Baidu's March 31 system failure caused nearly 100 vehicles to stall in Wuhan.
- Pony.ai fleet reached 1,700 vehicles by May 24, up 250; WeRide expanded to ~1,000 by end April, up 200.
- Executives urge targeted safety regulations like aviation model; see current restrictions as short-term structural support.
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Who’s Who
- Pony.ai Inc.
- Pony.ai Inc., a leading Chinese autonomous driving startup, expanded its robotaxi fleet to over 1,700 vehicles by May 2025, adding 250 cars in two months. The company upgraded its 2026 fleet target from 3,000 to 3,500 vehicles, focusing on first-tier cities before expanding to second-tier markets, per CFO Wang Haojun.
- WeRide
- WeRide expanded its domestic robotaxi fleet to about 1,000 cars by end of April, adding roughly 200 vehicles since late March. CEO Tony Han cautioned against blanket regulatory crackdowns, advocating aviation-style safety models. He expressed optimism that current adjustments are short-term and do not change government structural support.
- Baidu Inc.
- Baidu Inc.'s autonomous driving subsidiary, Apollo Go, experienced a mass failure on March 31 in Wuhan, where nearly 100 robotaxis stalled. This incident triggered regulatory tightening. Despite this, Baidu reported 3.2 million orders in Q1, a 120% year-on-year surge, with peak weekly orders exceeding 350,000 in March.
- Apollo Go
- Apollo Go, Baidu's robotaxi unit, experienced a mass system failure on March 31 in Wuhan, stalling nearly 100 vehicles. This triggered regulatory tightening. Despite this, Apollo Go reported 3.2 million Q1 orders (120% YoY surge) and peak weekly orders surpassing 350,000 in March. Fleet size remains undisclosed.
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What Happened When
- First quarter of 2026：
- Baidu’s Apollo Go completed 3.2 million orders, a 120% year-on-year surge.
- March 2026：
- Baidu's Apollo Go reported peak weekly orders surpassing 350,000.
- Late March 2026：
- WeRide's domestic fleet was approximately 800 vehicles.
- March 31, 2026：
- Nearly 100 robotaxis operated by Baidu's Apollo Go suddenly stalled in a coordinated system failure in Wuhan.
- Mid-April 2026：
- Three central government ministries ordered industry-wide rectifications to improve safety oversight.
- By the end of April 2026：
- WeRide expanded its domestic fleet to about 1,000 cars, an increase of roughly 200 vehicles since late March 2026.
- By May 24, 2026：
- Pony.ai reported a fleet of more than 1,700 vehicles, up by roughly 250 cars from two months earlier.
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