Russian technology company Yandex has announced that it has “paused” tests of autonomous vehicles and pavement robots in the US. The company said it has halted a fleet of robot taxis it operates in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and a delivery service powered by six-wheel pavement robots that it operates with Grubhub. “We hope to restart operations in the future,” a company spokesperson said.
It is thought that the worldwide shock caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was effective in the decision. Many firms have decided to cut their commercial ties with Russian companies. Russia announced on Friday that it has blocked Facebook and Twitter access.
Yandex started working on autonomous driving technology in 2016 and conducted its first successful test on the snowy streets of Moscow a year later. The company made its international debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in 2019, allowing people to ride in its fully autonomous vehicles. In 2020, Yandex opened a technology center in Ann Arbor, bringing some of its AVs for public road testing. Meanwhile, it has also launched a pilot delivery service with GrubHub, using six-wheeled pavement robots at the Ohio State University and University of Arizona campuses.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had and will continue to have far-reaching consequences that are problematic for companies with international operations such as Yandex.
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