A Pony AI robotaxi on display at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2026. Credit: CnEVPost
- The adjustment takes effect June 4, about seven months after the two companies made their Hong Kong market debuts.
- The move is expected to boost stock liquidity for the two autonomous driving leaders.
Chinese autonomous driving technology companies WeRide (HKEX: 0800) and Pony AI (HKEX: 2026) have both been included in the Stock Connect eligible list, opening the channel for mainland investors to trade their Hong Kong shares.
The adjustment to the Stock Connect list will officially take effect on Thursday, June 4, according to the latest announcements from the Shanghai Stock Exchange. This comes about seven months after the two companies made their debuts on the Hong Kong stock market.
Eligible investors in the Chinese mainland will be able to directly trade the Hong Kong-listed shares of both companies through this mechanism.
The Stock Connect is a crucial mutual market access mechanism linking the mainland and Hong Kong capital markets. The program maintains strict entry thresholds regarding a company’s market capitalization, liquidity, and compliance.
For Chinese mainland investors, they must meet a threshold of having more than 500,000 yuan ($73,940) in their securities account assets to participate.
The mainland-Hong Kong stock connect mechanism comprises two channels: Shenzhen and Shanghai. These two channels operate independently in actual trading. The inclusion in the Stock Connect will deepen the connection between these two companies and the mainland capital market.
The adjustment is expected to enhance market liquidity for WeRide and Pony AI, both of which have achieved dual primary listings in the US and Hong Kong.
WeRide was founded in 2017 and listed on the Nasdaq on October 25, 2024. Pony AI was established in late 2016 and went public on the Nasdaq on November 27, 2024.
On November 6, 2025, the two companies made their Hong Kong stock market debuts on the same day.
WeRide’s autonomous driving operations have now landed in eight countries and over 40 cities globally. The company has a global fleet of about 2,800 autonomous vehicles, including a robotaxi fleet of about 1,300 vehicles.
The company plans to deploy 2,600 robotaxis globally by the end of 2026, and reach a scale of tens of thousands of vehicles by 2030.
Pony AI recently projected its full-year robotaxi revenue for 2026 will reach more than 3.5 times that of 2025. Its global fleet size target by the end of 2026 was revised upward from 3,000 to over 3,500 vehicles.
The rapid expansion of both companies is built upon robust underlying technology systems.
WeRide relies on its proprietary world model WeRide Genesis, which connects generative AI with physical AI. Its one-piece end-to-end ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) solution has secured nearly 30 vehicle model design wins from automakers including GAC (HKEX: 2238) and Chery (HKEX: 9973).
Pony AI centers its strategy on its proprietary world model PonyWorld and Virtual Driver technology. These technologies are driving the large-scale global application of its robotaxi and robotruck services.
With the influx of southbound capital from the mainland, these two leading autonomous driving companies are poised to gain a broader investor base.
Commercial robotaxi service will launch in Madrid later this year, marking WeRide and Uber’s first joint entry into the European market.
($1 = 6.7626 yuan)
