The stand of China’s Gac Commercial Vehicle at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hanover showcased a range of line-haul and last-mile transport vehicles developed with Pony.ai for autonomous driving and Aulton for rapid battery swapping. At the centre of the display were the Level 4 autonomous Robotruck T9 and a battery-swapping version based on the same platform, alongside the European debut of the new Montx brand and the production Smilodon Pro pick-up.
The Robotruck T9 stems from the collaboration between Gac Commercial Vehicle and Pony.ai launched on 16 April 2026 and brings the supplier’s fourth-generation autonomous driving system to the T9 heavy-duty electric platform. The system shares its central computing unit with Pony.ai’s seventh-generation robotaxis, which are already in operation. According to the two companies, about five months of development, testing and validation elapsed between the signing of the agreement and the Hanover debut. The sensor suite includes nine lidar units, three millimetre-wave radars and 13 cameras, providing 360-degree coverage with no blind spots. Sharing the computing architecture with its robotaxis has enabled Pony.ai to cut hardware component costs by 70% compared with the previous generation. The system is paired with a fully redundant drive-by-wire chassis developed by Gac Commercial Vehicle, covering steering, braking, power supply, communications, computing and perception, allowing the vehicle to remain operational even if a single component fails.
The Robotruck T9’s design, with clean surfaces and a wedge-shaped front end also intended to integrate the sensor equipment, gives it a drag coefficient of 0.4 Cd. Combined with Pony.ai’s energy-management algorithms, these features are expected to deliver energy savings of 10% compared with conventional commercial vehicles. Alongside the autonomous model, Gac Commercial Vehicle brought an electric battery-swapping version to Hanover, developed with Aulton. The tractor unit is equipped with a 603 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, offering a claimed range of up to 475 kilometres and combined energy consumption as low as 1.2 kWh per kilometre. Aulton’s system allows the complete battery pack to be replaced in three to five minutes, reducing vehicle downtime. Charging and battery swapping remain complementary solutions, with swapping particularly suited to high-frequency operations on fixed routes.
The applications identified by the two manufacturers for the autonomous Robotruck T9 include long-distance transport on fixed routes and cargo handling at port terminals, scenarios in which predictable routes support the gradual introduction of automation. Gac Commercial Vehicle and Pony.ai estimate a reduction of about 30% in transport costs per tonne-kilometre compared with the previous generation of the system, while series production is scheduled to begin by the end of 2026.
The European debut also included Montx, Gac Commercial Vehicle’s new light commercial vehicle brand, based on the Adaa multi-domain adaptive architecture, designed to accommodate different powertrains and body configurations on the same platform. The range shown at IAA includes the P10 and V10 prototypes, both designed for passenger transport. The P10, aimed at professionals and outdoor explorers, features four distributed-drive motors, a dedicated camping mode and an intelligent towing assistance system for challenging terrain. The V10, designed for digital nomads and creators, offers a modular interior and configurations for off-grid use. The brand is also supported by Montx Makers, a global co-design initiative involving end users.
Also on display at the show was the Smilodon Pro, Gac Commercial Vehicle’s pick-up already in production. The Hanover debut follows a first half of 2026 in which the company’s sales rose by 205% year on year, a result the group also attributes to Gac’s sales and service network, which operates in 110 countries. Pony.ai has also announced plans to expand its Robotruck operations into Europe and the Middle East over the next two years.
