Pony.ai, Verne and Uber to launch robotaxi service in Zagreb

Autonomous driving firm Pony.ai, mobility operator Verne and Uber Technologies have announced a partnership to launch what they describe as Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service, with on-road testing already under way in Zagreb using Pony.ai’s Gen-7 autonomous driving system deployed on the Arcfox Alpha T5 Robotaxi. The three companies plan to scale to a fleet of thousands of robotaxis over the next few years, with potential expansion into additional European cities.

Under the arrangement, Pony.ai will provide its autonomous driving system, Verne will act as fleet owner and operator, and Uber will integrate the service into its ride-hailing platform alongside Verne’s own customer-facing app. Verne will lead regulatory approval processes for European markets. Uber intends to invest in Verne as part of the partnership.

In a statement, James Peng, Founder and Chief Executive of Pony.ai, said: “In China, our Gen-7 has achieved meaningful commercial scale, including unit economics breakeven in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, demonstrating the readiness of our technology and business model.”

Marko Pejkovic, Chief Executive of Verne, said the partnership would bring “together the technology, platform, and operational capabilities required to make this a reality, starting in Zagreb before expanding to new markets.” Dara Khosrowshahi, Chief Executive of Uber, added that the collaboration represented “an important step toward making autonomous ride-hailing available to more riders in more places.”

Source: Pony.ai