SANY Unveils Mass-Production-Ready Autonomous Heavy-Duty Truck Platform

How SANY’s Fourth-Generation Autonomous Truck Enables Scalable, Low-Carbon Freight
Autonomous freight operators require durable hardware, redundant safety architectures and efficient electrification to enable large-scale commercial deployment. SANY Group reports that its fourth-generation autonomous heavy-duty truck—co-developed with Pony.ai—is nearing mass-production readiness, with the first batch scheduled for commercial operation next year. This milestone marks a significant step toward accelerating digital, intelligent and low-carbon transformation in China’s logistics sector.

The new model incorporates an over 400 kWh battery pack, enabling each vehicle to reduce annual carbon emissions by roughly 60 tons. As a fully electric, autonomy-ready platform, it sets a baseline for next-generation low-emission heavy-duty transport.

Fully Redundant Drive-by-Wire Architecture for Safety and Reliability
To meet stringent reliability requirements for autonomous freight, the truck uses SANY’s fully redundant drive-by-wire chassis architecture across six critical subsystems: steering, braking, communication, power supply, computing and sensing. The platform has completed EMC verification and extreme-temperature testing, forming a comprehensive protection framework that enhances operational safety and system resilience.




Scalable Platooning Model Improves Operating Economics
Operational efficiency is strengthened by the “1+4” autonomous platooning model—one manned lead truck followed by four unmanned units. Pilot estimates indicate a per-kilometer freight cost reduction of 29% and a 195% increase in operating profit. This replicable, high-density solution is expected to support smart-port and hub-to-hub logistics, laying the groundwork for scaled autonomous transport networks.

Strategic Collaboration Enabling Industrialization
Since forming their partnership in 2022, SANY and Pony.ai have combined SANY’s expertise in drive-by-wire chassis and vehicle engineering with Pony.ai’s autonomous driving technology. Together they achieved the world’s first “5G + autonomous driving + electrification” deployment for heavy-duty trucks, progressing from early prototypes to near-term mass production.

Working with Sinotrans, the partners also established a “Vehicle + Technology + Scenario” model to align production capability, technical maturity and real-world operational needs—supporting dependable deployment across logistics environments.

Transitioning from Demonstration to Large-Scale Commercial Use
The mass production of SANY’s fourth-generation autonomous model signals an industry shift from limited pilot demonstrations to broader unmanned freight operations. With advances in electrification, redundant safety systems, autonomy performance and economic viability, SANY and Pony.ai plan to accelerate the adoption of intelligent, low-carbon logistics infrastructure and expand commercial use of autonomous heavy-duty vehicles.

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