MK Group announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding on a strategic partnership with Chinese autonomous driving company Pony.ai, with a view to launching autonomous taxi services in Japan. Developments involving the Toyota-affiliated Chinese company in which Toyota has invested have also attracted attention.
MK Group signed a memorandum of understanding on a strategic partnership with Pony.ai, a Chinese company engaged in autonomous driving technology development. The purpose is to exchange views on developments in autonomous driving technology in Japan, safety and operational challenges, responses to regulations and licensing requirements, and the feasibility of introducing robotaxis. The memorandum signing ceremony was held at Kyoto Smart City Expo 2026, where robotaxi vehicles were also exhibited.
MK operates taxi services in 9 areas across Japan and has a network covering the country's major cities. While the partnership with Pony.ai is seen as increasing the potential for autonomous driving services to be launched in the Japanese market, competition with other companies and deployment strategies for each area will be the focus going forward.