transforming City Travel: Verne’s Robotaxi Service Pioneers Autonomous Mobility in Europe
Introducing Autonomous Ride-Hailing to Zagreb’s Streets
after years of innovation, Croatian visionary Mate Rimac is turning his dream of electric robotaxis into reality. This initiative is progressing thru a strategic alliance involving Uber, the Chinese autonomous vehicle leader Pony.ai, and Rimac’s own startup, Verne. Their joint effort aims to launch Europe’s inaugural commercial robotaxi service beginning in Zagreb.
The collaboration combines Pony.ai’s advanced self-driving software with the Arcfox Alpha T5-a fully electric autonomous SUV co-developed with China’s BAIC Motor Corporation. While Verne will oversee local fleet operations and maintenance, Uber will integrate its extensive ride-hailing network to seamlessly connect passengers with these driverless vehicles.
Investment backing and Aspiring Growth Trajectory
Uber has committed as a strategic investor in Verne, providing capital intended to accelerate expansion beyond Croatia’s borders. Although an official launch date remains under wraps,active testing on public roads around Zagreb signals imminent commercial readiness.
The Genesis of Verne: From Conceptualization to Funding Milestone
Verne originated within Project 3 Mobility (P3), part of the broader Rimac Group ecosystem that includes high-performance electric hypercar maker Rimac Automobili alongside ventures focused on energy innovation and automotive technology. Since its founding in 2019, Verne has quietly refined its urban mobility vision before publicly announcing €100 million in funding secured by mid-2024.
A Vision for purpose-Built Electric Robotaxis Designed for urban Life
Mate Rimac-renowned worldwide for engineering the $2.4 million Nevera hypercar-believes that future mass-market growth lies not in traditional human-driven EVs but rather compact two-seater electric vehicles tailored specifically for autonomous city transport services like those planned by Verne.
“The shift toward driverless urban mobility is certain; it may take time but will fundamentally reshape how we navigate cities,” Rimac emphasizes regarding this transformative trend.
A Strategic Focus: Partnering on Autonomy instead of Building It In-House
diverging from companies such as Waymo or tesla that develop proprietary self-driving systems internally, Verne prioritizes crafting efficient urban EVs combined with comprehensive fleet management solutions-including maintenance scheduling and cleaning logistics-to ensure smooth daily operations at scale.
Croatia-Based Manufacturing: Local Production Driving Innovation Forward
The company intends to manufacture its custom-designed robotaxis at a new facility near Lučko outside Zagreb. Production is slated to begin later this year following prosperous prototype validation involving over 60 test units constructed so far.
An Interim Fleet Solution Using Established Autonomous Vehicles
While awaiting market-ready versions of their bespoke two-seater models-which remain under growth-Verne plans initially to deploy Pony.ai’s Arcfox Alpha T5 vehicles within their early service offerings accessible via both Uber’s app and their own platform.
A roadmap Toward widespread European Deployment
- pilot Launch: Rolling out limited coverage across select areas within Zagreb;
- Sustained Expansion: targeting thousands of robotaxis operating across multiple European metropolitan regions over coming years;
- Ecosystem Synergy: Integrating cutting-edge AI driving technologies with user-pleasant applications plus backend infrastructure optimized specifically for dense urban environments;
“europe demands scalable autonomous transit solutions capable of transitioning rapidly from pilot programs into everyday use,” says Marko Pejkovic, CEO of Verne.
“Our journey starts locally before expanding continent-wide.”
The Dawn of Enduring Driverless Urban Transport Is Here Today
This groundbreaking partnership represents one of Europe’s most meaningful advances toward mainstream adoption of sustainable driverless ride-hailing services powered by purpose-built electric vehicles designed explicitly for city travel needs-heralding profound changes not only throughout Croatia but also across global metropolitan centers seeking cleaner mobility alternatives supported by bright automation technologies.
