China · European Union · Crypto Briefing
Uber rolls out autonomous rides in Zagreb, its first in Europe
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Uber brings robotaxi service to Croatia in partnership with Pony.ai and Verne, with plans to expand across five European cities.
Key facts
- The partnership that made this possible was formalized back in March 2026, giving the three companies roughly five months to go from signed agreements to paying passengers
- Verne launched what it described as Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service in April 2026, a standalone operation that completed thousands of rides before the Uber integration went live in August
- Verne has benefited from prior European Union funding directed at autonomous vehicle research and development
- For Uber, the Zagreb launch follows the same strategic playbook the company has pursued in the United States: own the customer relationship and the distribution, let the technology specialists own
Summary
The service is a three-way collaboration: Pony.ai supplies the autonomous driving technology, Verne handles fleet management, and Uber provides the booking infrastructure most riders already have on their phones. For now, every autonomous vehicle on Zagreb’s streets comes with a licensed safety operator seated inside. The vehicles are operating in key areas of the city, including Zagreb’s city centre. The partnership that made this possible was formalized back in March 2026, giving the three companies roughly five months to go from signed agreements to paying passengers.