Uber Technologies announced Thursday it has formed a groundbreaking partnership to bring Europe’s first commercial self-driving taxi service to Zagreb, Croatia, working alongside Chinese technology company Pony.ai and Croatian startup Verne.
The collaboration divides responsibilities among the three companies: Pony.ai will provide the autonomous driving technology, Verne will own and operate the vehicle fleet on a daily basis, while Uber will incorporate the service into its worldwide ride-sharing network. Customers will be able to access the robotaxis through both Uber’s app and Verne’s dedicated platform.
According to a joint statement, the companies “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.”
As part of the agreement, Uber will make a financial investment in Verne, which takes its name from renowned French author Jules Verne, and will act as a strategic partner to help the company grow.
The three companies have already begun conducting road tests in Zagreb and are making preparations to launch paid rides for customers.
Verne will take the lead in securing European regulatory approvals needed for the service launch and will oversee the rollout of Pony.ai’s autonomous vehicles across both Verne’s and Uber’s platforms.
This partnership represents part of Uber’s broader strategy to position itself in the autonomous vehicle market, having established relationships with nearly two dozen companies specializing in self-driving technology across various sectors including robotaxis, freight transportation, sidewalk delivery robots, and drone services.
