On-road testing in Croatia’s capital is already underway using Pony.ai’s Gen-7 system on the Arcfox Alpha T5, a Chinese-manufactured robotaxi. Uber intends to invest in Verne. The three companies plan to scale to thousands of vehicles across Europe, but have declined to announce a commercial launch date.
Mate Rimac built his reputation making electric hypercars that cost more than two million dollars and accelerate fast enough to cause physical discomfort. His latest project is a taxi.
Verne, the Croatian startup he co-founded alongside CEO Marko Pejkovic, is designed around the opposite principle: a purpose-built two-seat electric pod with no steering wheel, no pedals, and legroom its creators compare to the back of a Rolls-Royce, intended to be cheaper than Uber or Bolt.
That vehicle is not yet on public roads. But the company took a significant step towards commercialisation on Thursday, announcing a three-way partnership with Pony.ai and Uber to launch what the companies are calling Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service, beginning in Zagreb.
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol’ founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
Under the partnership, Pony.ai, the NASDAQ- and HKEX-listed Chinese autonomous driving company, will supply the technology and the vehicle: its Gen-7 autonomous driving system deployed on the Arcfox Alpha T5, a robotaxi developed with Chinese automaker BAIC.
Verne will own and operate the fleet and handle the service layer, including regulatory approvals. Uber will integrate the service into its global ride-hailing platform, running alongside Verne’s own customer-facing app. On-road testing using the Pony.ai vehicle is already underway in Zagreb. A commercial fare-charging launch date has not been announced.
Uber also indicated it intends to invest in Verne at an undisclosed amount, supporting the company’s future expansion as a strategic partner. The commercial ambition is significant: the companies announced plans to scale to “a fleet of thousands of robotaxis over the next few years,” expanding beyond Zagreb to additional European cities and other markets.
Verne has previously signed agreements with 11 cities across Europe and the Middle East, with the UK and Germany identified as priority markets after Zagreb.
Verne has been operating since 2019 and raised a €100 million Series A in private funding. Construction of its purpose-built factory in Lučko, near Zagreb, began in February 2025 across a 28,500-square-metre site at VGP Park Zagreb, with operations expected to begin this year.
The factory, which will create up to 400 jobs, is designed to produce Verne’s own two-seat autonomous vehicles for deployment globally. For the initial commercial launch, however, the service will use Pony.ai’s Arcfox Alpha T5 rather than Verne’s purpose-built vehicle, which is still in prototype testing.
The partnership is part of Uber’s broader strategy of building an autonomous vehicle network through external partnerships rather than developing its own technology, a path the company committed to after selling its self-driving unit, ATG, to Aurora in 2020.
It has similar arrangements with Momenta and WeRide in other markets. For Pony.ai, which has achieved unit economics breakeven in Guangzhou and Shenzhen according to its CEO Dr James Peng, the Zagreb launch would mark its first commercial deployment in Europe.
The company has also partnered with Bolt for European expansion. For Verne, the Uber relationship simultaneously provides platform reach, a strategic investor, and credibility for the regulatory approvals it needs to move from testing to fare-charging operations in Croatia and beyond.
