Zhang Junjie: GAC Lingcheng T9 Robotruck Makes Global Debut, Exploring Commercialization of L4 Intelligent Heavy Trucks

　　At the 2026 Hannover International Transportation Expo (IAA Transportation 2026), GAC Lingcheng held the global debut of the L4 autonomous driving heavy truck T9 Robotruck. Built on the T9 battery-electric heavy truck, the vehicle was jointly developed by GAC Lingcheng and Pony.ai. It is planned to achieve scaled mass production within 2026 and to advance applications in scenarios such as trunk-line logistics, dedicated-line logistics, and port transportation.

　　Zhang Junjie, Deputy Director of the Technology Center of GAC Lingcheng, accepted an interview with Transporters Network, providing a detailed interpretation of the T9 Robotruck's intelligent connected technology, overseas applications, cost control, and commercialization path.

Transporters Network: What are the technical features of the T9 Robotruck in intelligent connectivity and autonomous driving?

　　Zhang Junjie: This time we brought an L4 intelligent connected autonomous driving heavy truck built on the T9 platform. This vehicle was jointly developed by GAC Lingcheng and Pony.ai, with the goal of achieving L4 autonomous driving and fully unmanned operations.

　　In terms of vehicle safety, we designed eight redundancy systems, including key systems such as chassis braking, steering, power supply, network, and powertrain. At the same time, at the software and hardware levels of the electronic and electrical architecture, we also designed more than 20 redundancy strategies, with the goal that even if a single node fails, the vehicle still has the corresponding safe operating capability.

　　Overall, we believe that the technical level of this vehicle has entered the internationally leading ranks.

Transporters Network: What problems will the T9 Robotruck need to solve in the future when entering the European market?

　　Zhang Junjie: I believe there may be relatively strong demand in the European market for intelligent connected and autonomous driving heavy trucks.

　　On the one hand, labor and working-hour costs in Europe are relatively high; on the other hand, local management of driver working hours is also stricter. Robotruck can break through the limitations of manual driving time, so if all-weather operations are achieved, its economics will be significantly improved.

　　This Hannover event is the global debut of the T9 Robotruck, and our goal is to enter the European market in the next 2 to 3 years.

　　At present, autonomous driving companies including Pony.ai have already carried out related business in Europe. GAC Commercial Vehicle also hopes to follow such a path and gradually expand into the European market.

Transporters Network: What configuration does the T9 Robotruck use in terms of perception hardware?

　　Zhang Junjie: This vehicle is equipped with 9 lidars, 13 cameras, and 3 4D imaging millimeter-wave radars.

　　Among them, the 9 lidars include long-range, mid-range, and blind-spot-filling lidars, forming multi-layered perception capabilities through different detection ranges, covering the vehicle's surrounding environment as much as possible and providing support for the safe and reliable operation of the autonomous driving system.

　　Whether in the domestic or overseas market, safety is the most important foundation for our development of intelligent driving systems.

　　At the same time, we are also exploring new business models, hoping to reduce the customer's initial vehicle purchase cost as much as possible, bringing the purchase price of autonomous driving heavy trucks close to that of ordinary vehicles, and then sharing profits with customers based on the cost-reduction benefits generated by the “virtual driver” in actual operations.

　　We hope that through such a model, we can promote the commercial application of autonomous driving heavy trucks from several hundred units to a scale of thousands.

Transporters Network: In addition to the new business model, how can the hardware cost of autonomous driving heavy trucks be further reduced?

　　Zhang Junjie: Some of our sensors can be reused with the GAC Group's Robotaxi project. Relying on the supply chain foundation brought by the group's scaled vehicle applications, the costs of related sensors can be well controlled.

　　At the same time, we have also upgraded and optimized the vehicle chassis and electronic and electrical architecture, building an electronic and electrical architecture with five major intelligent domains.

　　Through these measures, we hope to balance both cost and reliability, so that the product can ultimately enter a price range acceptable to the market.

　　Transporters Network: From the current market demand, in which scenarios are L4 autonomous driving heavy trucks most likely to be deployed first?

　　Zhang Junjie: From the research on different scenarios at present, I expect that relatively closed scenarios such as ports and in-port transportation will be deployed first. In addition, some resource transportation scenarios are also relatively suitable. Because such transportation usually has relatively fixed routes, it is more feasible to promote at a certain scale. At present, some customers have shown relatively strong interest, and we are also conducting in-depth discussions.

Transporters Network: From testing to scaled operation of domestic intelligent heavy trucks in China, what stages do you think still need to be experienced?

　　Zhang Junjie: At present, the T9 has already been widely used in the Pearl River Delta region, and has also formed a certain sales scale in northwest markets such as Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang.

　　For intelligent connected models, we are currently conducting in-depth engagement with some ports and mining areas in Xinjiang.

　　From the current stage of autonomous driving technology development, it still takes time to debug and verify in different scenarios, further confirming the technical solution and the stability of vehicle operation. The ultimate goal is to achieve truly stable unmanned operations.

　　The continuous iteration and expanded application of intelligent driving technology also require local policy support and further clarification of laws and regulations at the national level. When these basic conditions gradually mature, intelligent driving will have the conditions for larger-scale promotion.

　　From the aspects of sensors, electronic architecture, and connected monitoring, we currently already have a relatively advanced technical foundation.

　　At present, the GAC Lingcheng T9 has entered high-frequency operating scenarios such as ports, mining areas, and steel mills. The T9 Robotruck released this time further targets trunk-line, dedicated-line logistics, and port transportation, which also means that intelligent exploration will gradually shift from technology development to verification in more actual operating scenarios.

Transporters Network Commentary:

　　For autonomous driving heavy trucks to truly enter scaled operation, the vehicle itself is only the starting point. The GAC Lingcheng T9 had previously achieved the implementation of battery-electric heavy trucks from product development to actual scenarios. This time, by partnering with Pony.ai to enter L4 Robotruck, it further extends vehicle manufacturing capabilities into the field of advanced intelligent driving.

　　Relying on GAC Group's resources in new energy, intelligence, and globalization, and introducing autonomous driving capabilities through open cooperation, the global debut of the T9 Robotruck in Hannover demonstrates GAC Lingcheng's exploration results in the mass production of unmanned heavy trucks and the integration of advanced intelligent driving. From new energy heavy trucks to intelligent heavy trucks, GAC Lingcheng is forming a development path that balances technology, implementation, and operational value, and also provides new possibilities for Chinese intelligent heavy trucks to enter the global high-end logistics market.