Uber Taps Pony AI and Verne for European Robotaxi Service — Starting in Croatia

Uber is launching a robotaxi service in Europe, starting with a deployment in Zagreb, Croatia, through a new three-way partnership. The ride-hailing giant is teaming up with Chinese autonomous vehicle firm Pony.ai and Verne, a Croatian startup spun out of the electric hypercar maker Rimac Group. According to The Verge, Uber is billing this as Europe’s first commercially available robotaxi service, which will integrate directly into the Uber app for customers in the Croatian capital.

This is not a vertically integrated effort. Instead, it is a clear example of a platform play, with each partner handling a distinct piece of the puzzle. Uber provides the ride-hailing network and customer base. Pony.ai supplies the core autonomous driving system. Verne, as Engadget reports, is responsible for the “service ecosystem and operational framework”—essentially managing the fleet and local operations.

A Capital-Light Strategy for Autonomy

The partnership model marks a strategic shift for Uber. After spending billions on its own internal autonomous vehicle division, Advanced Technologies Group (ATG), Uber sold the unit to Aurora in 2020. This new approach outsources the immense capital cost and technical complexity of developing self-driving cars, allowing Uber to focus on its core strength: its network. By integrating with specialists like Pony.ai and Verne, Uber gets a path to an autonomous future without the associated R&D burn rate.

The choice of vehicle further illustrates the global supply chain behind this effort. The fleet will consist of Arcfox Alpha T5s, electric vehicles made by the Beijing-based automaker BAIC, according to Engadget. These cars are then retrofitted with Pony.ai’s self-driving hardware and software. This combination of Chinese hardware and software, Croatian operational expertise, and an American technology platform is a pragmatic assembly of capabilities.

Why Start in Zagreb?

Launching in a major European hub like London or Paris would involve immense regulatory and logistical hurdles. Starting in Zagreb is a more calculated move. As TechCrunch notes, Verne is a Croatian company headquartered there, providing a home-field advantage. The startup, launched under the high-performance EV brand Rimac Group, gives the project local credibility and operational know-how. Testing is already underway in the city.

This approach indicates a pattern of starting small in a controlled environment before attempting a wider rollout. The success of the Zagreb service will be a critical test for the viability of this multi-partner model. If it works, it could provide a template for Uber to expand its robotaxi service across other European markets, each with its own unique regulatory landscape and operational challenges. The core question is whether this alliance of specialists can operate as cohesively as a single, vertically integrated company like Waymo.