News Summary

Travis Kalanick, the founder of Uber, is reportedly in talks to acquire the U.S. division of the Chinese autonomous vehicle company Pony AI. According to reports from The New York Times, Kalanick is working with investors to finance the acquisition, and Uber might assist in securing the deal. This move marks Kalanick’s return to the self-driving vehicle industry since his departure from Uber in 2017. Pony AI, which went public last year with a market cap of $4.5 billion, has been preparing its U.S. arm for a potential sale or spinoff. If successful, this acquisition could reshape the autonomous vehicle landscape and strengthen Uber’s platform-centric approach. Kalanick, who now runs CloudKitchens, would continue managing his current venture while potentially leading Pony AI’s U.S. operations.