Uber chief rides driverless Verne robotaxi in Zagreb
Dara Khosrowshahi and Mate Rimac discussed expansion beyond Croatia as Zagreb’s autonomous service continues its phased rollout
Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi visited Verne and the Rimac Campus in Zagreb, where he rode in a robotaxi without a safety driver. Mate Rimac said Khosrowshahi was pleased with the experience and that the pair discussed further cooperation and taking Verne beyond Croatia.
Uber is an investor and strategic partner in Verne, according to Total Croatia News. Rimac said the proposed international expansion would use Verne’s intended final vehicle, which is designed without a steering wheel or pedals.
The visit followed a March agreement among Verne, Pony.ai and Uber to establish a commercial robotaxi service in Europe, starting in Zagreb. Under that partnership, Pony.ai provides the autonomous-driving system, Verne owns and operates the fleet, and Uber integrates the service into its ride-hailing network. Uber said it intended to invest in Verne and support its expansion as a strategic partner.
Autonomous rides became bookable through Uber in Zagreb on Aug. 20, initially in selected areas including the city centre. Riders could request them through the UberX or Comfort options, but a licensed operator was initially seated behind the wheel as part of a phased launch. Verne said it had begun commercial robotaxi operations in April and had since completed thousands of autonomous rides in the city.
The driverless ride taken by Khosrowshahi was distinct from the initial Uber-app service. In early September, Verne and Pony.ai began separate passenger trials without a safety driver or other staff aboard, on a 22-kilometre route between Verne’s headquarters and the Zagreb Airport area. Those trials used BAIC-made vehicles equipped with Pony.ai technology, rather than Verne’s planned steering-wheel-free vehicle.
The companies have said Zagreb is the first market in a plan to expand to additional European cities and other markets, with an eventual fleet target in the thousands. Uber said growth would be gradual as the partners work toward fully driverless operations while meeting regulatory requirements and its safety standards.
The commercial discussions occurred separately from the final assessment of an EU-funded robotaxi project developed by Project 3 Mobility, the company behind Verne. The project formally ended Aug. 30 without confirmation that its contracted Level 5 vehicle had been produced and homologated. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said final approval from the competent German institution had not been obtained by the deadline.
Verne had been approved for €179.5 million in non-repayable EU funds and received a €89.75 million advance in July 2023. At the time of the September reports, SAFU had confirmed about €8.8 million of that advance as justified, leaving about €81 million not yet justified. Verne had said it would return funds if the final evaluation found that it had not fully met its contractual obligations.