Key Points:
- Uber is launching Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb, Croatia.
- This is a partnership with China’s Pony.ai for autonomous driving tech and Croatia’s Verne for operations.
- The service will integrate into Uber’s platform, with plans to expand across Europe.
- Uber will also invest in Verne, aiming for a fleet of thousands of robotaxis in coming years.
Uber Technologies has joined forces with Pony.ai and autonomous vehicle startup Verne to roll out Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service. The new service is set to start operating in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.
Under this new agreement, Chinese robotaxi firm Pony.ai will provide the self-driving technology. Meanwhile, the Croatian startup Verne will own the fleet of vehicles and handle the day-to-day management of operations, the companies announced on Thursday.
Uber will integrate this new robotaxi service directly into its global ride-hailing platform, meaning it will appear alongside Verne’s own customer-facing app. The companies stated that they “aim to build a scalable path toward commercial robotaxi services in Zagreb and, over time, potentially into additional European cities and other markets, with plans to scale to a fleet of thousands of robotaxis over the next few years.” This signals ambitious plans for expansion.
As part of the deal, Uber will also invest in Verne, which is named after the famous French writer Jules Verne. Uber will also support Verne’s growth as a strategic partner. The three companies have already begun testing the robotaxis on roads in Zagreb, and they are currently preparing to start charging fares for the service.
Verne will lead the efforts to get European regulatory approval for launches in different cities and will coordinate the deployment of Pony.ai’s robotaxis across both Verne’s and Uber’s platforms.
Uber has been actively building partnerships with nearly two dozen autonomous vehicle technology companies. These collaborations cover everything from robotaxis and trucking to sidewalk delivery robots and drones. Uber is clearly looking to take advantage of the growing interest in driverless taxi services.
