Pony.ai Expands Into Singapore, to Deploy Autonomous Vehicles in Cooperation with ComfortDelGro

Singapore is ramping up its reputation as a global hub for smart mobility, where cutting-edge technology, careful regulation, and a dense urban fabric create a unique proving ground for autonomous driving. On September 20, 2025, Pony.ai—one of the world’s leading developers of autonomous driving technology—announced its entry into the Singapore market. The company will work closely with ComfortDelGro, Singapore’s largest local transportation service provider, to deploy autonomous vehicles and integrate them into the city’s transport ecosystem. The move marks a significant expansion for Pony.ai in Asia-Pacific and signals ComfortDelGro’s readiness to experiment with autonomous service models that could complement its fleet of taxis, buses, and ride-hailing platforms. Beyond a simple market entry, the partnership embodies a strategic bet on how cities might amalgamate cutting-edge software, sensor fusion, and local knowledge to redefine urban mobility.

Pony.ai brings to Singapore a portfolio of autonomous-vehicle software and enabling technologies that have been piloted in other parts of the world, including China and North America. The company emphasizes its high-precision mapping, perception, planning, and control systems, all designed to deliver safe, predictable, and comfortable rides. ComfortDelGro, a veteran operator with decades of experience managing large fleets and coordinating service-level agreements across multiple mobility channels, provides the physical and logistical backbone for the program. The collaboration aims to create a seamless rider experience—from on-demand pickup through last-mile connections to public transit—while offering operators a scalable model to improve utilization and reduce time-to-market for new mobility offerings.

A prototype autonomous vehicle navigates an urban corridor, illustrating the type of deployment contemplated for Singapore under Pony.ai’s partnership with ComfortDelGro.

The Singapore government has positioned itself as a testbed for mobility innovation, with clear safety and regulatory requirements designed to protect passengers while encouraging experimentation. Pony.ai and ComfortDelGro’s collaboration will likely align with these principles, leveraging Singapore’s well-established digital infrastructure, rigorous vehicle standards, and a regulatory framework that emphasizes passenger safety, data privacy, and accountability. This alignment could help accelerate the deployment timeline while ensuring that pilots are designed to learn in real-world conditions without compromising public trust. For Pony.ai, Singapore offers a combination of favorable market dynamics—high urban density, sophisticated customer bases, and a strong focus on sustainable transport—paired with regulatory predictability that is essential for long-term investment.

The operational plan appears to center on integrating autonomous vehicles into ComfortDelGro’s broader mobility network, rather than replacing it wholesale. In practical terms, the initial deployments are expected to emphasize pilot corridors and first-mile/last-mile solutions that connect residential neighborhoods with business districts, airports, and transit hubs. Vehicles could be deployed across a mix of settings—airport shuttles, urban route shuttles, and on-demand services—while the operator tests algorithms for corridor planning, ride-sharing efficiency, and dynamic routing under varying traffic conditions. This approach aims to demonstrate reliable performance at scale while preserving the quality and affordability that ComfortDelGro’s customers expect.

ComfortDelGro’s extensive urban transit network serves as a natural backbone for Pony.ai’s Singapore pilots, enabling integration with taxis, buses, and on-demand services.

From a safety and privacy perspective, the program will almost certainly incorporate multilayered safeguards—redundant sensors, rigorous software verification, and continuous monitoring. As with other markets, real-time data collection will require robust data governance practices to protect rider privacy and comply with local laws. Cybersecurity, incident response, and transparent reporting will be critical components of the deployment as operators learn how to minimize risk while maximizing reliability. These considerations are not merely regulatory boxes to check; they influence rider confidence and the long-term viability of autonomous mobility as a mainstream option for everyday travel.

Economically, the Singapore venture could unlock new opportunities for job creation in technology, operations, and customer service roles linked to autonomous mobility. It may also drive efficiency gains for ComfortDelGro, reducing idle times, improving vehicle utilization, and enabling smarter dispatch across its fleet. For city residents, the availability of on-demand autonomous services could translate into shorter wait times, more travel options, and potentially lower transport costs through better asset utilization. Environmentally, any shift toward shared, electrified autonomous vehicles would contribute to lower emissions and reduced congestion, aligning with Singapore’s sustainability goals.

The regional mobility landscape already features a mix of traditional operators and new mobility firms exploring autonomous capabilities across Asia-Pacific. Pony.ai’s Singapore entry adds to a broader wave of experimentation in nearby markets and could influence how regulatory agencies in the region design guidelines for autonomous transport. Competitors and collaborators alike will watch closely to assess whether Singapore becomes a template for how to blend public transport with ride-hailing and private AV fleets, particularly in dense, highly connected urban centers. The partnership with ComfortDelGro—a company with a long track record of reliability and service standards—could also help set a benchmark for service quality and rider experience in the region.

However, the path forward is not without risk. Regulatory approvals must remain adaptive to technological advances, and public acceptance will hinge on perceived safety, privacy protection, and consistent performance across weather, traffic, and peak demand periods. Infrastructure readiness, such as geofenced operation zones and dedicated pickup areas, will need to mature in tandem with software improvements. Investment decisions will require patience, long planning horizons, and clear metrics to assess progress against safety, service reliability, and user satisfaction. If Singapore’s pilots prove successful, the model could be scaled to other densely populated cities in Asia and beyond.

Looking ahead, the Pony.ai-ComfortDelGro collaboration could redefine how cities orchestrate multimodal mobility. Rather than a binary choice between private car ownership and traditional public transit, Singapore could see a blended ecosystem in which autonomous vehicles supplement existing networks, reducing wait times and expanding access to underserved neighborhoods. The success of the program will depend on thoughtful integration with public transit schedules, dynamic pricing that reflects demand and operating costs, and transparent governance that engages riders, local businesses, and community stakeholders. If the model proves durable and scalable, it could attract further partnerships with technology firms, automakers, and municipal authorities seeking to deliver safer, more efficient urban mobility.