Freedom Holding, Baidu eye robotaxi launch in Kazakhstan

Freedom Holding Corp. and Chinese technology company Baidu are preparing to launch a driverless taxi service in Kazakhstan. The plans were announced by Freedom Holding CEO Timur Turlov on Facebook after the company signed a package of agreements with some of China’s largest technology companies in Shanghai.

The project will be based on Apollo Go, Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing platform.

«With Baidu, we are preparing to launch robotaxis. Their Apollo Go service is already providing millions of rides in China, and by combining their technology with our knowledge and engineering capabilities, we will be able to create a unique service for our country. Thanks to these partnerships, Kazakhstan has the potential to become a regional leader in robotaxis,» Turlov wrote.

In addition to the robotaxi project, Freedom Holding Corp. signed a memorandum with Geely and SK to develop a national network of fast-charging stations for electric vehicles integrated with its SuperApp. The agreement also provides for the localization of charger production in Kazakhstan and was signed in the presence of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The company also reached an agreement with Alibaba Cloud to expand Kazakhstan’s cloud infrastructure using the Akashi Data Center in Astana. According to Turlov, the partnership will help introduce advanced cloud technologies, create new engineering jobs and support the development of products for both domestic and international markets.

Another area of cooperation involves the localization of agricultural drones and the production of delivery drones. Pilot drone delivery projects have already been underway in major cities for more than six months.

According to Turlov, Freedom Holding Corp. currently employs more than 2,500 engineers and developers. He said this growing team of technology specialists will help the company implement and adapt advanced Chinese technologies for Kazakhstan.