inDrive, Pony.ai, Nvidia to Test Robotaxis in Kazakhstan in 2027

Ride-hailing company inDrive has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese autonomous driving firm Pony.ai and Nvidia to test robotaxis in Kazakhstan beginning in the first half of 2027. The proposed pilot would launch in Astana and initially operate with a safety operator onboard, with fully driverless service as the eventual goal. Under the plan, Pony.ai would supply its Gen-7 robotaxi vehicles, inDrive would integrate the service into its existing ride-hailing platform and manage local operations, and Nvidia would provide underlying artificial intelligence and safety technology, including its Hyperion compute and sensor platform and Halos safety system. The companies said Nvidia’s platform could reduce development costs by offering a standardized foundation for autonomous vehicles, a factor Nvidia’s automotive vice president, Ali Kani, described as especially important in emerging markets where autonomous ride-hailing services must compete with low-priced conventional options. The announcement coincided with Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang’s first visit to Kazakhstan and reflects a broader effort by ride-hailing firms to expand beyond the United States and China into markets with favorable regulatory conditions. For inDrive, which has built a global business around affordable ride-hailing in more than 1,200 cities across 47 countries, the move is part of a capital-light strategy that pairs local operational knowledge with external autonomous driving partners. The Kazakhstan trial would also add to Pony.ai’s international growth plans, which target more than 3,500 robotaxis in over 20 cities worldwide by the end of 2026, up from 1,975 vehicles at the end of June. Kazakhstan’s planned rollout of autonomous taxi services in 2027 and its regulatory framework for testing self-driving vehicles on public roads provide a supportive environment, while Astana’s severe winter weather offers a challenging test case for autonomous systems operating in snow and ice. inDrive founder and chief executive Arsen Tomsky said success in Astana could help the company expand autonomous mobility to other regions with similar climate conditions. The initiative also follows growing competition in autonomous ride-hailing, including Uber’s plans to test Pony.ai robotaxis in London and other partnerships in multiple markets. inDrive is separately exploring robotaxi deployment in Saudi Arabia through an agreement with AI Driver and Chinese self-driving company WeRide, with a pilot in Riyadh targeted for the first half of 2026, although the timeline remains uncertain.