Uber rival inDrive eyes 2027 robotaxi tests in Central Asia with Pony.ai and Nvidia

Ride-hailing company inDrive, known for letting passengers and drivers negotiate fares, is working with Chinese autonomous driving firm Pony.ai and Nvidia to begin testing robotaxis in Kazakhstan in 2027.

The companies said Friday that they had signed a memorandum of understanding to explore bringing Pony.ai’s robotaxis to inDrive’s platform — a reflection of the growing interest in self-driving technology beyond the U.S. and China.

Testing will begin in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, in the first half of 2027, inDrive CTO Yuri Misnik told TechCrunch. The tests will initially involve a safety operator, with fully driverless rides as the eventual goal.

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

The move comes as ride-hailing companies expand their push into robotaxis. 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, an investor-backed partner. Uber is also working with multiple robotaxi companies in other markets, including the Middle East.

inDrive, which has built its business around affordable rides, is looking to bring a similar focus to autonomous ride-hailing as it explores a market where Uber and other rivals are already making moves.

“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.”

“Those savings are particularly relevant in emerging markets, where ride-hailing is already relatively affordable and autonomous services need to compete on cost,” Ali Kani, Nvidia’s vice president of automotive, told TechCrunch.

You can contact or verify outreach from Jagmeet by emailing [email protected].

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