Uber rival inDrive eyes 2027 robotaxi tests in Central Asia with Pony.ai and Nvidia
inDrive plans to begin testing Pony.ai's robotaxis in Kazakhstan's capital in the first half of 2027.
TL;DR
- inDrive, Pony.ai, and Nvidia will test robotaxis in Kazakhstan starting in the first half of 2027.
- Testing will commence in Astana with safety operators, with the goal of fully driverless operations.
- Pony.ai will provide Gen-7 robotaxis, Nvidia will supply AI technology (Hyperion platform, Halos safety system), and inDrive will operate them on its app.
- The partnership aims to bring affordable autonomous ride-hailing to Kazakhstan, a market with growing interest in self-driving technology.
- Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, with its harsh winter conditions, is considered an ideal location for testing autonomous driving systems.
- This move follows Kazakhstan's announcement of plans to launch autonomous taxi services in 2027 and its introduction of rules for autonomous vehicle testing.
- inDrive is also exploring robotaxi deployments in other markets, including Saudi Arabia.
- Nvidia's Hyperion platform is designed to reduce the cost of robotaxi development.