inDrive, Pony.ai and Nvidia plan Astana robotaxi tests for 2027
Ride-hailing company inDrive has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese autonomous driving company Pony.ai and Nvidia to explore robotaxi testing in Kazakhstan. The companies plan to start trials in Astana, the country’s capital, in the first half of 2027.
inDrive CTO Yuri Misnik said the initial service will operate with a safety operator in the vehicle. The stated long-term objective is fully driverless rides. Under the proposal, Pony.ai would supply its Gen-7 robotaxis, while inDrive would make them available through its ride-hailing app and operate the service in Kazakhstan.
Partner model combines vehicles, platform and AI systems
Nvidia is expected to provide AI technology, including its Hyperion platform and Halos safety system. Nvidia says Hyperion gives robotaxi developers a foundation of sensors and computing technology, reducing the need to build and integrate every component independently.
The company also offers the Alpamayo model, synthetic-data tools and systems for testing autonomous driving across different scenarios. Nvidia automotive vice president Ali Kani said such savings are particularly important in emerging markets, where autonomous services must compete with already affordable ride-hailing.
Misnik described inDrive’s approach as capital-light: the company intends to combine its own platform and operating role with specialist partners in individual markets. The announcement coincides with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s first visit to Kazakhstan.
Astana adds demanding winter-road conditions
Kazakhstan announced last month that it intends to launch autonomous taxi services in 2027, with initial trials in Astana and two other cities. The country has also introduced rules allowing autonomous vehicles to be tested on certain public roads.
Astana has around 1.7 million residents and experiences months of snow and ice. inDrive founder and CEO Arsen Tomsky said a launch there could help evaluate autonomous driving technology in difficult winter conditions and generate insights for locations facing similar challenges.
The proposal extends Pony.ai’s international expansion beyond China. The company aims to operate more than 3,500 robotaxis in over 20 cities worldwide by the end of 2026, compared with 1,975 vehicles at the end of June.
Ride-hailing platforms widen their autonomous partnerships
inDrive is entering a market where other ride-hailing companies are also forming robotaxi alliances. In London, Uber and Pony.ai Gen-7 London trials illustrates the use of Pony.ai’s Gen-7 vehicles on Uber’s platform, while Uber has also begun offering supervised autonomous rides there with British startup Wayve.
inDrive is separately exploring autonomous deployments in Saudi Arabia. In December, it signed an agreement with AI Driver to examine a Riyadh service using vehicles powered by Chinese self-driving company WeRide; the partners had targeted a pilot in the first half of 2026, although it is unclear whether testing has started.
inDrive operates in more than 1,200 cities across 47 countries and has expanded into delivery, intercity transportation and financial services. For businesses assessing autonomous mobility, the Astana plan underlines that a viable launch depends on aligned vehicle partners, platform operations, cost structure and a collaborative regulatory environment for safe road testing.