Uber on Thursday revealed plans to launch Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service.
The ride-hailing giant confirmed a strategic collaboration with Chinese self-driving company Pony.ai and Croatian startup Verne.
The Croatian capital, Zagreb — a city of about 750,000 — will host the service, although no launch date has yet been set. However, initial deployment is underway already,
Each of the three parties will bring something different to the service. Uber will offer the scale of its platform, Pony.ai will deliver the autonomous driving tech, and Verne will be responsible for operating the service and obtaining regulatory approval.
The first robotaxis to be offered will be based on Chinese automaker BAIC’s ARCFOX Alpha T5, a compact electric SUV. The cab was first unveiled at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show and features Pony.ai’s seventh-generation autonomous driving system.
The tech blends AI with a sensor suite comprising nine Lidar units, 14 cameras, and four millimeter-wave radars to deliver an advanced autonomous driving system.
However, because the system can be used in different vehicles, in the longer term, it would not be unexpected to see Pony.ai’s tech fitted into a robotaxi made by Verne.
Although the company may have an unfamiliar name, it has a serious pedigree with the backing of Mate Rimac, who was responsible for delivering one of the world’s fastest cars, the 256mph electric Rimac Nevera hypercar. He’s the driving force behind Verne and unveiled his plans to produce a robotaxi in 2024.
Development is progressing, with production of the two-seat hatch potentially starting later this year or in 2027 at a factory in Lučko, Croatia.
Meanwhile, Uber has forged a series of deals over the few years designed to accelerate the rollout of robotaxis on its fleet, with the last month alone seeing the ride-hailing giant confirm plans to operate in Japan with automaker Nissan and AI vendor Wayve, and also reveal an investment in California’s Rivian that could reach $1.25 billion and lead to the production of 50,000 autonomous cabs.
Uber previously revealed plans to offer Pony.ai robotaxis in the Middle East.
Alongside the deployment in Zagreb, Uber said in a statement that it “intends to invest in Verne and support future expansion as a strategic partner,” while all parties aim to expand into other European cities and markets, with a fleet of “thousands of robotaxis” targeted for the next few years.
