Chinese autonomous driving company Pony.ai has commenced commercial robotaxi operations in Zagreb, Croatia, in collaboration with Uber and Verne.
The service marks what the company describes as Europe’s first commercial deployment of robotaxis.
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Passengers can book and pay for rides through the Verne app, with plans to integrate the service into the Uber platform at a later stage.
The initial rollout covers roughly 90km², including key parts of the Croatian capital and its airport, with further expansion across the city anticipated.
The launch follows an agreement announced last month between Pony.ai, Verne and Uber to introduce robotaxi services in Europe.
Under this arrangement, Pony.ai provides its autonomous driving systems and operational expertise, while Verne is responsible for local operations, regulatory compliance and market rollout.
Pony.ai founder and CEO James Peng said: “As we advance our dual-engine growth strategy, Zagreb represents both our first commercial robotaxi service in Europe and a meaningful validation of our Gen-7 robotaxi capabilities in a new market. Together with strong partners, we are building a scalable path to bring safe, reliable, and accessible autonomous mobility to more users around the world.”
According to the company, the deployment builds on recent Gen-7 unit economics breakeven milestones achieved in two tier-one cities in China, which it says support the commercial viability of its technology and business model.
The move forms part of Pony.ai’s “dual-engine growth strategy”, aimed at expanding its robotaxi presence beyond China into European markets.
The company added that this strategy is expected to drive fleet expansion, targeting 3,000 vehicles by the end of the year.
Verne co-founder and CEO Marko Pejković added: “For the first time in Europe, there is a real commercial robotaxi service. People can use it and take real autonomous rides.”
Earlier in February, Pony.ai partnered with Toyota to begin mass production of the bZ4X robotaxi, with plans to scale commercial deployment across China.
The company indicated that more than 1,000 vehicles are scheduled for production in 2026, alongside phased introductions into paid services in China’s tier-one cities.
