Following its impressive Q2 performance with total revenue reaching 154 million RMB (21.5 million USD), representing a 75.9% year-over-year increase and 53.5% quarter-over-quarter growth, including Robotaxi passenger fare revenue surging over threefold year-over-year, major investment banks and overseas funds have turned their attention to Pony AI Inc (PONY.US). Leading foreign investment banks including Bank of America and Goldman Sachs have issued bullish research reports on Pony AI Inc. The reports indicate that with strong support from accelerated Robotaxi mass production, Pony AI Inc's stock price is expected to rise significantly, with Bank of America setting a target price of $21 and Goldman Sachs providing an ambitious target of $26, nearly doubling the current price.
As foreign investment banks heat up their ratings, international capital's attention to China's autonomous driving industry continues to climb. ARK Invest's flagship fund, led by Cathie Wood, known as the "female Warren Buffett," disclosed that it recently invested $12.9 million in Pony AI Inc shares, accounting for 36.3% of total active fund purchases that day. This marks Wood's first investment in a Chinese L4 autonomous driving company, making Pony AI Inc one of only six Chinese concept stocks among the 120 stocks in her portfolio.
Recognition from investment banks and capital markets naturally requires multi-dimensional support. Analysis of the financial report reveals that the company's Q2 Robotaxi business revenue reached 10.9 million RMB (1.5 million USD), a substantial 157.8% year-over-year increase, with passenger fare revenue growing over 300% year-over-year. The growth primarily stems from expanded user coverage, rising demand in tier-one cities, and significant increases in Robotaxi fleet size.
Currently, Pony AI Inc is the only company in China providing fully autonomous Robotaxi paid services in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, with total operational coverage exceeding 2,000 square kilometers across tier-one cities. In terms of user growth, the company has optimized pricing and operational strategies for different customer segments, driving a 136% year-over-year surge in Robotaxi registered users while simultaneously improving user retention and operational efficiency.
Given this favorable situation, Mo Luyi, Vice President and Head of Robotaxi Business at Pony AI Inc, revealed at an offline media communication session at the Shenzhen R&D center that the company has launched 24/7 autonomous driving testing in Beijing and Seoul, South Korea, and pioneered 24-hour Robotaxi services in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The round-the-clock service covers late-night travel needs and has received widespread user acclaim.
Meanwhile, Zhang Ning, another Vice President and Head of Robotaxi Business at Pony AI Inc, directly addressed the "technology gap between Tesla and Chinese players in intelligent driving." He stated, "Tesla's customized vehicle models have made efforts in specific models and comprehensive improvements. Musk plans to feed this experience back into FSD versions, but advanced intelligence requires higher safety and responsibility standards, necessitating solutions to more product differentiation issues. From the landing experience perspective, Chinese players reached 'hundreds of vehicles scale' last year."
Regarding the core "cost" issue inevitably touched upon by rapid development in intelligent driving technology, Zhang consistently emphasized that intelligent driving product positioning must achieve balance with cost control. "For assisted driving, we need to pursue ultimate cost-effectiveness under a 99-point experience, with the core being maintaining experience while reducing costs to enhance market competitiveness. Urban solutions represent 'assisted driving track leaders' due to requiring higher-level intelligence. In sensor selection, I believe their performance can surpass human senses (such as radar and ultrasonic radar). Safety is the primary consideration for sensor system solutions, while cost is not a commercialization barrier. The market will validate these advantages within three years."