Europe's First Commercial Robotaxi Service: Uber, Pony.ai and Verne Launch in Zagreb

Europe Gets Its First Commercial Robotaxi Service

On March 26, 2026, Uber, Chinese autonomous vehicle company Pony.ai, and Croatian startup Verne announced a partnership that puts Europe on the robotaxi map. Zagreb has been selected as the launch city, marking the first such service on the continent.

The service is built on Pony.ai's seventh-generation autonomous driving system, mounted on Arcfox Alpha T5 vehicles. The cars are already conducting on-road testing in Zagreb, with fare-charging operations set to begin soon.

Who Does What?

The division of responsibilities is clear: Pony.ai provides the autonomous driving technology, Verne owns and operates the fleet, while Uber integrates the service into its global network. Uber will also make a direct strategic investment in Verne to support future expansion.

The plan is to scale to thousands of vehicles in Zagreb over the coming years, then expand to other European cities.

Regulatory Path

Verne takes responsibility for securing regulatory approvals for autonomous vehicles in Europe, a process considerably more complex than in China or the US. Operating in a market where such approvals don't exist from day one means expansion will take time.

What Does This Mean?

Europe's robotaxi market has long been seen as more conservative than the American and Chinese markets. Zagreb as an opening city is a surprising but strategic choice. Croatia has relatively streamlined regulation and is eager to position itself as technologically forward-leaning within the EU.

For Pony.ai, Europe is a key expansion arena after strong growth in its home market. For Uber, robotaxi partnerships are part of a broader strategy to reduce dependence on human drivers long-term.

This is a historic step for European mobility. The question is no longer whether self-driving taxis are coming to Europe, but how fast and on what terms.