Bolt, Nvidia to kickstart driverless taxi programme in Madrid during 2027

By Danny Callaghan

Oct 21 (Reuters) - Estonian ride-hailing platform Bolt is launching an autonomous driving programme in Madrid during 2027 and aims to expand into Western European cities before the end of the year, the company said on Wednesday.

The programme is set to deploy Nvidia's Alpamayo software in at least 25,000 vehicles manufactured by Lucid as Spain moves to issue permits for testing autonomous vehicles on public roads.

• Bolt told Reuters the programme in Madrid is a starting point for gathering real-world data and expects "tens of vehicles" on the streets of the Spanish capital next year

• Madrid will be the pilot city because the region has created a testing permit allowing limited commercial operations without full approval, Bolt's head of autonomous driving Jevgeni Kabanov said

• Kabanov said the driving software runs entirely inside the car without connecting to the internet for cybersecurity reasons

• Bolt is also targeting entry into major French and German cities by the end of next year

(Reporting by Danny Callaghan and Leo Marchandon; Editing by Matt Scuffham)