Uber, Pony.ai and Verne to Launch Europe’s First Commercial Robotaxi Service in Zagreb
Uber is partnering with Chinese autonomous vehicle company Pony.ai and Croatian startup Verne to launch a commercial robotaxi service in Europe, beginning in Zagreb, Croatia. The collaboration aims to bring autonomous mobility to the European market, starting with on-road testing already underway in Croatia’s capital.
Partnership Details and Roles
Under the agreement, Pony.ai will provide the autonomous driving system, utilizing its Gen-7 autonomous driving system deployed on the Arcfox Alpha T5 Robotaxi, developed in collaboration with Chinese automaker BAIC. Verne will own and operate the robotaxi fleet, while Uber will integrate the service into its existing ride-hailing network, alongside Verne’s own customer-facing platform. Uber as well intends to invest an undisclosed amount into Verne to support future expansion. PRNewswire
Verne’s Origins and Vision
Verne, founded in 2019 as Project 3 Mobility (P3) within Rimac Group, is the brainchild of Mate Rimac, founder of Rimac Group. Rimac envisioned an urban robotaxi service utilizing purpose-built electric vehicles. The company secured €100 million in funding in July 2024. Verne Verne plans to manufacture its robotaxi EVs at a new factory in Lučko, Croatia, expected to start operations later this year. TechCrunch
Scaling and Future Expansion
The companies aim to scale the fleet to “thousands of robotaxis” over the next few years, expanding beyond Zagreb to other European cities. The Verge Verne CEO Marko Pejkovic stated the company is focused on bringing autonomous mobility to Europe, starting in Zagreb. PRNewswire
Rimac’s Long-Term Strategy
Mate Rimac believes autonomous vehicle technology will eventually render traditional human-driven EVs obsolete, shaping his vision for Verne. TechCrunch Verne is concentrating on the urban electric vehicle, the ride-hailing app, and the fleet management infrastructure, rather than developing its own self-driving system.