Self-driving car startup Pony.ai and Sany Heavy Truck, a subsidiary of Chinese heavy machinery maker Sany Group, are jointly developing electric autonomous trucks for freight delivery, with plans to begin mass production as early as 2024, the companies announced Thursday. They also plan to create a joint venture and schedule small-scale delivery later this year, with their first robotruck prototype already being tested on public roads. Their rival, Inceptio Technology, has partnered with automakers Dongfeng and Sinotruk, backed by Chinese tech giants JD.com and Meituan. [Pony.ai release]