inDrive Teams with Pony.ai and Nvidia for 2027 Robotaxi Trials in Kazakhstan

Ride-hailing firm inDrive is partnering with Chinese autonomous driving company Pony.ai and chipmaker Nvidia to test robotaxis in Kazakhstan starting in 2027, the companies announced Friday.

The three parties signed a memorandum of understanding to explore putting Pony.ai's robotaxis on inDrive's platform, with testing set to begin in Astana in the first half of 2027. inDrive CTO Yuri Misnik said the trials will initially include a safety operator, with fully driverless rides as the eventual goal.

Under the plan, Pony.ai would supply its Gen-7 robotaxis, which inDrive would offer through its app and operate in Kazakhstan. Nvidia would provide AI technology including its Hyperion platform and Halos safety system.

The announcement coincided with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's first visit to Kazakhstan on Friday. inDrive founder and CEO Arsen Tomsky said Astana's harsh winters offer a chance to evaluate autonomous driving in challenging conditions, and that success there could inform expansion to similar markets.

The deal adds to Pony.ai's push beyond China. The company aims to have more than 3,500 robotaxis operating in over 20 cities worldwide by the end of 2026, up from 1,975 vehicles at the end of June. Kazakhstan has separately announced plans to launch autonomous taxi services in 2027, with initial trials in Astana and two other cities.

inDrive, which operates in more than 1,200 cities across 47 countries, is also exploring robotaxis elsewhere. In December it signed a separate agreement with Saudi Arabia's AI Driver to explore deploying autonomous vehicles powered by WeRide, starting with Riyadh, with a pilot targeted for the first half of 2026. Misnik said the company is looking at additional markets, and that a favorable regulatory environment is a key requirement for launches.

Source: TechCrunch