inDrive Plans 2027 Kazakhstan Robotaxi Tests With Pony.ai and Nvidia
inDrive, Pony.ai and Nvidia plan supervised robotaxi tests in Astana in early 2027, targeting lower costs and eventual driverless rides through harsh winters.
Summary
On October 23, 2026, fare-negotiation ride-hailer inDrive, Pony.ai and Nvidia signed an MOU to explore offering Gen-7 robotaxis through inDrive’s app in Astana, Kazakhstan, from the first half of 2027. inDrive would operate the fleet, initially with safety operators and eventually without drivers; Nvidia would supply Hyperion sensors and computing plus Halos safety technology. CTO Yuri Misnik called inDrive’s multi-partner model capital-light. The plan extends robotaxi expansion beyond the U.S. and China while aiming to preserve inDrive’s affordable positioning.
Nvidia says Hyperion’s ready-made foundation, Alpamayo model, synthetic data and scenario-testing tools can reduce development costs, which automotive vice president Ali Kani called crucial in emerging markets with inexpensive ride-hailing. Kazakhstan permits autonomous testing on designated public roads and plans 2027 taxi trials in Astana and two other cities. CEO Arsen Tomsky said Astana’s 1.7 million people, snow and ice make it a proving ground for similar climates. The announcement coincided with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s first Kazakhstan visit.
Pony.ai targets more than 3,500 robotaxis across over 20 cities by the end of 2026, up from 1,975 at the end of June. Uber this month announced London Pony.ai tests, already offers supervised rides there with British startup Wayve, and has robotaxi partners in the Middle East. inDrive’s December agreement with Saudi Arabia’s AI Driver envisioned a Riyadh pilot using WeRide technology in the first half of 2026, but testing remains unconfirmed; Misnik said future launches require collaborative regulators. inDrive operates in more than 1,200 cities across 47 countries and also offers delivery, intercity transport and financial services.
Positives
- First-half 2027 testing would bring Pony.ai’s Gen-7 robotaxis to Astana through inDrive’s existing app.
- Nvidia’s Hyperion, Halos, Alpamayo and simulation tools could reduce robotaxi development and integration costs.
- Kazakhstan has authorized autonomous vehicle testing on designated public roads and plans trials across three cities in 2027.
- Pony.ai aims to expand from 1,975 vehicles in June to more than 3,500 across over 20 cities by year-end 2026.
- Astana’s snow and ice could generate evidence for deploying autonomous vehicles in other severe winter climates.
Risks & concerns
- The October 23 agreement is exploratory, with no binding deployment commitment or confirmed fleet size.
- Initial Astana rides will require safety operators, while no timetable has been set for fully driverless service.
- Months of snow and ice create difficult perception, navigation and safety conditions for Pony.ai’s vehicles.
- inDrive’s Riyadh pilot with AI Driver and WeRide targeted the first half of 2026, but testing remains unconfirmed.
- Misnik said deployments depend on favorable, collaborative regulation, leaving expansion exposed to local policy decisions.