A Croatian startup, Verne, backed by Rimac Group, is entering the robotaxi market with the support of Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle company Pony.ai. The partnership aims to introduce a commercial robotaxi service in Europe, starting in Zagreb, Croatia.
Verne will operate the fleet, while Pony.ai provides the autonomous driving system and the Arcfox Alpha T5 robotaxi. Uber’s ride-hailing network will facilitate the service’s accessibility.
The collaboration marks a significant step towards realizing Rimac’s vision for sustainable urban mobility. Originating as Project 3 Mobility within Rimac Group in 2019, Verne officially launched in 2024 with substantial funding, propelling the company into the competitive arena of autonomous transportation.
While an exact launch date for the service remains undisclosed, Verne has commenced on-road testing in Zagreb, leveraging the city as a testing ground for its innovative robotaxi solution.
Source: TechCrunch