Uber rival inDrive eyes 2027 robotaxi tests in Central Asia with Pony AI and Nvidia — SkimNews
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- inDrive signed a memorandum of understanding with Pony.ai and Nvidia to begin robotaxi testing in Astana, Kazakhstan, in the first half of 2027, starting with safety operators on board.
- Pony.ai will supply its Gen-7 robotaxis for deployment on inDrive’s platform in Kazakhstan, as part of a broader strategy to operate over 3,500 autonomous vehicles in 20+ cities globally by 2026.
- Nvidia will provide its Hyperion platform and Halos safety system to support the robotaxi development, with its AI tools aimed at reducing costs through pre-integrated hardware and synthetic data testing.
- inDrive CTO Yuri Misnik described the company’s approach as 'capital-light,' relying on partnerships to integrate autonomous driving expertise while maintaining its low-cost ride-hailing model.
- Kazakhstan has established regulations allowing autonomous vehicle testing on public roads and plans initial robotaxi trials in Astana and two other cities by 2027, citing harsh winter conditions as a strategic test environment.
- inDrive CEO Arsen Tomsky emphasized that operating in Astana’s extreme winter weather could yield insights applicable to other cold-climate cities, positioning the launch as a proving ground for global expansion.
Why it matters: Emerging markets gain a new pathway for affordable autonomous mobility as inDrive, Pony.ai, and Nvidia target a 2027 launch in Kazakhstan, where winter conditions create a high-barrier test environment. The capital-light model could accelerate adoption in regions where cost and infrastructure limit traditional robotaxi rollouts.
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