- The three companies plan to scale the commercial robotaxi fleet to thousands of vehicles over the next few years.
- Zagreb is poised to become the first European city to launch a commercial robotaxi service.
Chinese autonomous driving startup Pony AI has partnered with Verne and Uber to launch Europe's first commercial robotaxi service in Croatia.
The trio will first deploy the autonomous fleet in the Croatian capital of Zagreb, where initial public road validation and testing have already begun, according to a statement on Thursday.
Under the partnership, Pony AI will provide its autonomous driving solutions, while Croatian start-up Verne will act as the fleet owner and manage day-to-day operations.
Uber will integrate the Robotaxi service into its global ride-hailing network, complementing Verne's own customer-facing platform, Pony AI said.
The companies plan to scale the commercial robotaxi fleet to thousands of vehicles over the next few years, gradually expanding to additional European cities and international markets.
Current road tests use Arcfox Alpha T5 robotaxis equipped with Pony AI's seventh-generation autonomous driving system.
As preparations for fare-charging services advance, Zagreb is on track to become the first European city to host a commercial robotaxi rollout.
Verne will lead the market entry process and secure comprehensive regulatory approvals for the autonomous vehicles in Europe.
The model ensures consistent safety and user experience, establishing a scalable framework for future market expansions, Pony AI noted.
Furthermore, Uber intends to make a direct strategic investment in Verne to support its future business expansion in Europe and beyond.
The European deployment is the latest move by Pony AI to expand its global commercial footprint. It previously announced plans to launch similar services in the Middle East later this year.
Pony AI CEO James Peng said the company is ready to accelerate its international commercialization by combining Uber's global platform with Verne's operational capabilities.
The partnership also highlights Uber's active push to integrate Chinese autonomous driving technology, aiming to offer scaled driverless services to riders in more regions.
Uber previously reached agreements with WeRide, Momenta and Baidu's Apollo Go to deploy robotaxis in international markets.
