Uber in Talks with Co-Founder Kalanick to Acquire Pony.ai’s U.S. Unit

Uber is reportedly in preliminary discussions with its co-founder, Travis Kalanick, to finance the acquisition of the U.S. subsidiary of Pony.ai, a Chinese autonomous driving company. This move aims to counter the rising competition from autonomous taxi services like Waymo. Pony.ai, which went public last year with a valuation of approximately $4.5 billion, has prepared for the potential sale or spin-off of its U.S. operations.

If the deal is finalized, Kalanick would oversee the operations of Pony.ai’s U.S. subsidiary, marking his unexpected return to Uber after leaving in 2017. The discussions are still in early stages, and Uber’s exact role as an investor remains unclear. Pony.ai, established in 2016, holds licenses for robotaxi and truck operations in both the U.S. and China.

This collaboration reflects the accelerating impact of autonomous technology on traditional ride-hailing models. Uber faces increasing competition from Waymo, a Google spinoff, which has expanded its robotaxi services to multiple cities. Under CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber has partnered with about 18 autonomous driving companies to launch pilot projects worldwide.

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