The robotaxi race just went somewhere unexpected. Ride-hailing company inDrive has partnered with Chinese autonomous driving firm Pony.ai and Nvidia to begin testing robotaxis in Kazakhstan in the first half of 2027, with trials kicking off in the capital Astana.
inDrive (Credits: TechCrunch)
inDrive — the Uber rival known for letting passengers and drivers negotiate fares — announced Friday it had signed a memorandum of understanding to explore bringing Pony.ai’s robotaxis onto its platform. The move reflects the growing appetite for self-driving technology beyond the U.S. and China.
Testing will begin in Astana with a safety operator on board, inDrive CTO Yuri Misnik told TechCrunch, 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 ride-hailing app and operate in Kazakhstan. Nvidia would provide the AI backbone, including its Hyperion platform and Halos safety system.
Why the inDrive Robotaxi Tests in Kazakhstan 2027 Matter
Nvidia says its Hyperion platform could lower robotaxi development costs by giving companies a ready-made foundation of sensors and computing technology instead of building everything from scratch. Nvidia’s automotive vice president Ali Kani told TechCrunch those savings matter most in emerging markets, “where ride-hailing is already relatively affordable and autonomous services need to compete on cost.”
The announcement coincided with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s first visit to Kazakhstan on Friday — a signal of how seriously the chip giant takes the region. Kazakhstan announced last month that it plans to launch autonomous taxi services in 2027, with initial trials in Astana and two other cities, and has introduced rules allowing autonomous vehicles on certain public roads.
Astana’s Brutal Winter Is the Real Test
Astana’s famously harsh winters could make it one of the most demanding proving grounds for robotaxis anywhere. The city of around 1.7 million endures months of snow and ice — conditions that stress sensors, traction, and decision-making. “Launching here will provide an important opportunity to evaluate autonomous driving technology in challenging winter conditions,” said inDrive founder and CEO Arsen Tomsky. “Success in Astana could offer valuable insights for expanding autonomous mobility to other locations facing similar challenges.”
The Kazakhstan push also extends Pony.ai’s ambitions outside China. The company aims to have more than 3,500 robotaxis operating in over 20 cities worldwide by the end of 2026, up from a fleet of 1,975 vehicles at the end of June.
Competition is heating up everywhere. Earlier this month, Uber announced plans to test Pony.ai’s robotaxis in London, where it has also started offering supervised autonomous rides with British startup Wayve, and is working with multiple robotaxi companies across the Middle East. In December, inDrive signed a separate deal with Saudi Arabia’s AI Driver to explore deploying WeRide-powered autonomous vehicles starting in Riyadh, with a pilot targeted for the first half of 2026 — though it remains unclear whether testing has begun.
“Our approach is capital-light by design,” said Misnik. “We work with a range of partners in different markets, combining their expertise with ours to deliver a better customer experience.”
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Source: TechCrunch — read the full story there.
