More than 50 years ago, Greece built a vehicle called the Pony. Today, the same name has appeared again—this time on a fully electric truck designed to drive itself.
The coincidence comes as Chinese autonomous driving company Pony.ai unveils its latest Robotruck at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hanover, Germany. The new vehicle is a Level 4 autonomous heavy-duty truck developed with GAC Commercial Vehicle.
There is, however, no known connection between the Chinese company and Greece’s NAMCO or its Pony. The connection is in the name—and in the striking contrast between two vehicles separated by more than five decades of automotive technology.
From the Greek Pony to an Autonomous Truck
The original Greek Pony appeared in 1973 and was built by NAMCO in Thessaloniki. NAMCO describes it as a lightweight, versatile pick-up and jeep-like multipurpose vehicle designed mainly for practical and productive use.
The first generation used the platform of the Citroën 2CV. Later versions adopted Ford engines, while subsequent generations were exported to markets including the United States.
It was a simple vehicle built around practicality. It had a steering wheel, a conventional engine and, naturally, a person behind the wheel.
The new Pony.ai vehicle belongs to an entirely different era.
The New Pony Has Cameras, Radar and AI
The new Robotruck is fully electric and built on GAC Commercial Vehicle’s T9 battery-electric heavy-duty truck platform.
Pony.ai has integrated its fourth-generation Level 4 autonomous driving system into the truck. The vehicle uses nine lidars, three millimeter-wave radars and 13 cameras to provide 360-degree sensing.
The company says volume production is scheduled to begin later in 2026. It plans to use the trucks for long-haul freight, dedicated-route logistics and port transportation.
Level 4 autonomy means that the vehicle can operate without human driving input under defined conditions and within designated operating areas. Pony.ai already operates hundreds of autonomous trucks on routes in China, with some operating without a human driver, according to Reuters.
The company is also looking toward Europe. Pony.ai says it is discussing potential testing with European governments and ports and aims to expand its Robotruck business into Europe and the Middle East over the next two years.
One Name, Two Very Different Eras
That is what makes the coincidence particularly striking for Greece.
The original Pony belonged to an era when Greece was trying to establish its own automotive manufacturing industry. NAMCO began producing the vehicle in Thessaloniki in 1973, and the Pony became one of the best-known Greek-built vehicles.
More than half a century later, the name has surfaced again at one of Europe’s major commercial vehicle exhibitions.
But this time, the Pony is electric, autonomous and packed with sensors and computing power.
The Greek Pony needed a driver.
The new Pony.ai is being designed so that, under the right conditions, it does not.
That is the real story behind the curious Pony coincidence: not a Greek car returning under a Chinese owner, but the same name appearing on two vehicles that represent two very different eras of transportation.
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