Nvidia disclosed plans on Monday to launch a Level 4 robotaxi pilot with an unnamed automotive partner as early as 2027. At a self-driving demonstration in San Francisco last month, executives confirmed vehicles will operate without human intervention in predefined urban zones. Xinzhou Wu, Nvidia’s vice president of automotive, indicated the service will roll out with limited availability initially, enabling Nvidia and its partner to refine dispatch, safety monitoring and passenger experience before scaling to larger fleets.

Although automotive and robotics accounted for just $592 million in sales in the quarter ended October—approximately 1 percent of Nvidia’s total revenue—the company views self-driving as its second-largest growth category after AI infrastructure. Since 2015, its Drive platform has supplied chips and software for automakers; in December, Nvidia revealed a self-driving software stack to be integrated in Mercedes-Benz models arriving in late 2026, enabling city navigation features in markets such as San Francisco.

Nvidia’s self-driving push hinges on deep alliances and advanced tooling. In October, the company announced a robotaxi collaboration with Uber. It also offers its Drive AGX Thor automotive computer—priced around $3,500 per unit—alongside simulation software to help automakers train and validate autonomous models. Ali Kani, general manager of Nvidia’s automotive platform, noted clients can choose simulation services or leverage their own, while tuning Nvidia’s acceleration and braking profiles for specific vehicle architectures.